RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond officials are warning residents to be cautious of scams involving phone calls and text messages requesting urgent payments.
These fraudulent messages often threaten legal action or jail time to incite panic and prompt immediate financial responses.
Watch: Virginians warned of scam texts relating to unpaid tolls, E-Z Pass accounts
In a press conference held Tuesday morning, Richmond City Sheriff Antionette Irving, Richmond City Chief of Police Rick Edwards, and Richmond City Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin addressed the growing problem of scam calls and texts.
"If you miss jury duty, we will not call you to tell you that you’ve missed jury duty," Irving said. "We will not threaten you over the phone to pay a fine or fee, and we will not threaten you with incarceration."
They emphasized how scammers often impersonate public officials, making the scams more convincing.
"People use public officials’ names as part of these scams, so I've seen people screenshot and it says, 'I'm Chief Rick Edwards, and you need to turn yourself in, otherwise I'm coming to get you, and you need to just give me $1,000 worth of gift cards,'" Edwards said. "And that won’t happen."
The officials reported that these scams are becoming more sophisticated and widespread, resulting in an increase in the number of victims each year.
"This is a business, we’ve been told," Irving said. "I’ve personally been told by one of the scammers that he makes $10,000 at a time, or he can make $10,000 a day—whichever comes first."
Commonwealth’s Attorney McEachin highlighted the severe legal consequences for those caught conducting these scams.
"If the amount that they ask for is over $1,000, that puts it in the felony range, and the range of penalties, depending on the facts of the situation, is from one year to 20 years in the penitentiary," she said.
To protect against these scams, the officials advised:
- Do not send money if someone is threatening you with jail time.
- Do not click links sent through text; instead, contact the company directly.
- Report any financial losses to both your bank and the police.
For those interested in more detailed safety information, Richmond residents can schedule a seminar for their organization through the Sheriff's office by calling (804) 646-0140.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
