Galveston Co. Sheriff's Office warns of gift card scams
The scammers claim there's a warrant for arrest and you need to pay a bond in gift cards.
GALVESTON, Texas — The Galveston County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about a possible scam.
The sheriff's office said Friday that it received several complaints about scammers claiming to be department employees. Most complaints were claims that a warrant had been issued for their arrest after the person did not abide by a court-issues subpoena, the sheriff’s office said.
According to the sheriff's office, the scammers would offer the person a personal recognizance bond and tell them they must use money as collateral. They ask for the collateral on specific gift cards and the last eight numbers to make sure they are loaded correctly.
The scammers then tell the person to deposit the money from the cards in a kiosk in the lobby of the sheriff’s office.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said they do not collect fines or any money over the phone and there is no kiosk to deposit money.
If you’ve received a suspicious call from anyone claiming to be from the Galveston County Sheriff’s office, you should report it at (409) 766-2322 and choose option 2.
KHOU 11 on social media: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube