COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Boone County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to a new and more advanced phone scam that uses forged federal documents to trick victims into handing over money and personal information.
According to a statement released this week, scammers have escalated their tactics by sending fake federal arrest warrants and fraudulent “Mobile Escort Orders” to potential victims after contacting them by phone. The callers falsely identify themselves as law enforcement officers and claim the recipient has missed a court date, failed to pay a fine, or violated a court order — all under the pretense that a warrant has been issued for their arrest.
“These ARE NOT legitimate documents,” the sheriff’s office warned. “They are being used by scammers to try and bully potential victims into sending the scammers money.”
Victims are often told to stay on the phone and are instructed to send money via cryptocurrency machines or other untraceable methods.
In many cases, the scammers have already researched personal information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers to make the call appear more legitimate.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that real law enforcement officers will never call to demand money, request payment through cryptocurrency or gift cards, or handle warrants over the phone.
“Law enforcement will NEVER ask you to wire or transfer money to them,” the department stated. “If you receive such a call, it is ALWAYS a scam.”
Officials are urging residents not to provide any personal or financial information to suspicious callers and to immediately hang up if contacted.
They advise verifying any claims by calling the relevant agency directly using an official, publicly listed phone number — not a number provided by the caller.
Residents who suspect they may have been targeted by this scam are encouraged to report the incident to local law enforcement.
Photo courtesy Boone County Sheriff Office
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