BEAUMONT, Texas — A scammer appears to have picked the wrong target Monday afternoon when he tried to scam a Jefferson County constable who didn't take the bait.
A caller claiming to be a "Deputy Banks" with the "Jefferson County Sheriff's Department" called Jefferson County Precinct Two Constable Christopher Bates on Monday afternoon according to a Facebook post from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
The correct name of the agency is the sheriff's office, it's not a "department".
The caller claimed that Bates had missed a federal court date and that paperwork had been sent to his home and was "signed for" according to the sheriff's office post.
Bates didn't fall for it though and realized the call was a scam, but he decided to play along a bit.
"And I said well, sir I never got any information. They said well we have a signature showing that you did receive this information. Anyone else could have signed for you," Bates said.
Bates actually recorded some of the call and the "deputy" can be heard telling Bates that the "sheriff's department" is located at 525 Lakeshore Dr.
It's not.
But what is at that address is the Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse where Constable Bates' actual office actually is.
"Do you know who you're talking to," Bates, sounding slightly amused, asks him.
The "deputy" also gives Bates his supposed badge number but when Bates queries him further, asking if he works at 525 Lakeshore Dr, the caller hangs up.
"They want money they use the gift cards and things of that nature. And so they want to leverage you and make you a victim and they don't care how they do it," Bates said.
Last year, a scammer duped Port Arthur resident Cheryl Underhill.
After purchasing $1,000 worth of Visa gift cards, an uncover agent at Target stopped her from being scammed out more.
"I said ma'am I said I've got this guy on the phone I'm whispering to her. And he says that I'm going to get arrested because I have this jury duty that I missed. She said ma'am your being scammed," Underhill said.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, yes office, not department, will never call you asking for signature verifications, money, or cash cards to make a payment due to a warrant or a missed court date according to the sheriff's office Facebook post.
If someone calls you saying so and asks for payments or your banking information then just hang up.
Call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 409-835-8411 to verify any information if you're worried you may have actually missed a court date or have a warrant out for your arrest.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.