AUSTIN, Texas — Residents across Central Texas are being warned about a rise in scam calls.
The Gillespie County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) along with the Lakeway Police Department (LPD) both say they've seen residents in their respective areas receiving calls from someone impersonating a police officer.
Authorities say the scammers in both areas are using the names of current or recently retired officers. The imposters have then been threatening residents by saying they'll be arrested if they don't comply with their instructions or if they don't pay a specific dollar amount.
According to GCSO, the caller will tell those who answer the phone that they missed jury duty summons and have a warrant out for their arrest. They then say if a payment of $4,500, or a similar amount, is received, it would cover the bond amount. They may also ask for the money to be converted to Bitcoin by using Coinstar or Coinme kiosks.
GCSO investigators say some of the phone calls have been traced to Cotulla. They ask anyone receiving the phone calls to hang up without providing personal information and then contact the sheriff's office at 830-997-7585.
Meanwhile, LPD states that people who answer the scam phone calls have been threatened if they don't follow instructions, that they will be arrested.
After reports of the scam phone calls, LPD investigators discovered the phone number being used in the scam calls was not an official phone number with the department. The phone number's voicemail also had a recording that indicated it belonged to an LPD member and that they were calling a "confidential hardline."
Police say they would never reach out over the phone for an arrest and that all official LPD numbers start with the 261. If you receive a similar call, Lakeway police say to immediately hang up and contact the police department directly at 512-261-2800 to report the incident.