18-04-2025
Scammers impersonating Santa Rosa County sheriff's deputies — what to know
SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office has received several reports of scammers posing as deputies over the phone and threatening to arrest if not immediately paid.
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'It's just a bad scenario, and there's so many out there that are falling prey to this,' Chief Deputy Randy Tifft said.
Just on Tuesday, four calls were made to the sheriff's office within 20 minutes reporting a scammer.
'We think it's several people and little organizations that are doing it and hitting it everywhere, and most of the time, they're not even from Florida or Santa Rosa County,' Tifft said.
The sheriff's office will never call to threaten arrest or demand payment over the phone. Victims are encouraged to immediately go to the nearest sheriff's office to report the incident.
Tifft added that seniors are often the ones most vulnerable to these scams.
'The elderly people are the ones who seem to be most trusting, and they don't want to be in trouble with the law,' he said.
If a scammer receives the money, it's nearly impossible for the sheriff's office to track that individual down.
'They've done this enough that they don't leave much of a track, no breadcrumbs for us to even follow,' Tifft said.
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Any reports can be made to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office's non-emergency hotline at 850-983-1100.
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