From Tennessee REALTORS:
BE AWARE. Many REALTORS® in Clarksville have been targeted over the last few days by individuals posing as Montgomery County Sheriffs or Clarksville Detectives trying to get gift cards and money vouchers for thousands of dollars. Sadly, some of our members have fallen victim to this.
The perptrators are spoofing the actual phone numbers of the Sheriff's Department and Police Department and using the real names of real local officers. If you do an internet search, it will seem like the call is really coming from local law enforcement and that it is legitimate. While they are on the phone, they tell you that you have a warrant out for you for ducking a subpeona to testify but that they have a civil option to avoid jail time and fines. They will have many details about you that they would have found online, likely through social media, and it appears like they do have a file on you. They threaten you with immediately dispatching officers to arrest you unless you get into your car and drive to get cash to load upwards of $1,000 or more to a Reloadit card. They will text you the Reloadit information for you to do while you are on the phone with them. They say they have to do it this way because you can't bring cash to the departments because of Covid.
One REALTOR figured it out while she was driving to the bank and started challenging them. The scammers threatened her and told her that they had already kidnapped her son. Everyone that has encountered these scammers all state that it seemed VERY real and was very scary.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be law enforcement, first and foremost, know that legitimate officers will NEVER ask for money from you and that giftcards and moneycards are not how they actually collect fines. If you did actually have a warrant out for your arrest, you would not be able to settle it with them with giftcards.
We believe that they are focusing on REALTORS right now because of how prominent you are in the community and on social media. You have a lot of information public through the course of your business. It is only a matter of time before they move deeper into the community. Please share this message in your offices and with your sphere of influence.
If you do receive one of these calls, immediately report it to the FBI and file a local police report.
Local law enforcement have reports of over $134,000 being taken by these scammers so far in the Clarksville area. They need everyone's help in reporting ALL communications received from these perpetrators. When the total reported reaches $250,000, the FBI will be able to step in and take charge of the investigation.
Even if you've only received the call, they are urging you to report this to the FBI Internet Crime Division. They will want the phone numbers that are calling or texting you, the number they called, and any details that you can give. Again, even if you did not give them money, they need you to report the contact.
Please, everyone be safe and spread the word!