JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. —
According to the James City County Police Department and the Williamsburg-James City County Sheriff’s Office, they have seen a rise in impersonation scams locally and in surrounding areas.
On Monday, James City County officials issued a release that detailed the impersonation scam reports they had received over the past week.
According to those reports, residents were getting phone calls from people referring to themselves as “Deputy Shawn Anby” or “Derek Petterson” claiming the person who answered the phone had missed an important court appearance, therefore, a warrant was taken out for their arrest and the only way for it all to be cleared up was if funds were immediately transferred.
Officials said reports have also revealed that these individuals are claiming affiliation with regional police and sheriff's departments in Richmond and Kent -- and are providing fake badge numbers in attempts to legitimize themselves.
In January, the Richmond Police Department issued a public fraud alert. And In March and April, the New Kent Sheriff’s Office reported similar incidents.
James City County officials said they are concerned that the surge in swindle attempts may be linked to a broader network of fraudulent activity and are reminding people that law enforcement nor the courts will contact them to request money or any personal and financial information over the phone.