SALADO, Texas — A new phone scam targeting Central Texas residents is using high-pressure tactics and "borrowed" identities, claiming victims have missed jury duty and demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest.
However, one local couple recently turned the tables on the fraudsters when the caller made a critical mistake: pretending to be a high-ranking Bell County Sheriff's official whom the couple knew personally.
"The guy said he was Cliff Coleman, and I knew right away he was not Cliff Coleman," said Michele Hercules, a neighbor and friend of the real Deputy Cliff Coleman, the department's public information officer.
Realizing what was happening, she told her husband to start recording the call.
Because they knew better, the couple lost zero dollars. But authorities warn that many others are not as fortunate.
A Massive, Billion-Dollar Industry
The scheme relies on intimidation. Callers posing as law enforcement or court officials tell unsuspecting residents they have an active warrant for missing jury duty and must pay up immediately to stay out of jail. In this latest wave, scammers went so far as to use Coleman’s actual name.
"What I can tell you is that Bell County is getting hit for several years now regarding folks that call to claim to be law enforcement officials and intimidating our constituents," Coleman said.
The department receives about 200 calls a day from people targeted by these fraudsters—part of a massive, billion-dollar global scam industry.
How to Protect Yourself
Investigators stress that real law enforcement officers and court clerks will never call you demanding payment over the phone.
"If there's a warrant for your arrest, we're going to come knock on your door and take you to jail," Coleman said.
The Hercules says scams like this erode trust.
"The implications are kind of greater because they are using these agencies that were built to protect us," Hercules noted.
Sheriff’s officials advise residents who receive these calls to take the following steps:
- Do not engage or follow payment instructions.
- Do not call the phone number provided by the scammer.
- Hang up immediately and look up the official, verified number for your local sheriff’s office or district clerk to report the incident.
Coleman said investigators have a few suspects in custody, but the investigation remains ongoing.
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