The Austin County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a scam has been happening to people within our county.  The scam plays out like this:  The resident receives a call from someone who calls himself “Chris”. This person speaks with a foreign accent and states that he is a dispatcher with the Austin County Sheriff’s Office.  He then informs the person that they have a warrant for his/her arrest. The person is then instructed to call (717) 685-2319 and ask for a “John Harris” with the “Justice Department”.

When the call comes in to your phone, the caller will show that the call comes from the Austin County SO’s main number (979) 865-3111. THIS IS A SCAM! Do not call this number. They are simply trying to get you to send them numbers from a Green Dot card or a Western Union money gram.

The Sheriff’s Office wants the citizens of Austin County to know that the Austin County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call you and tell you to send money anywhere.

This scam is happening in other areas of the country and it has started showing up in our county. If you receive one of these calls, hang up.

If you have any questions concerning this you can contact the Austin County Sheriff’s Department at (979) 865-3111.