Hancock County sheriff warns of ‘federal warrant’ scam

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents not to fall for the latest scam making its way around the county.

Scammers are contacting citizens, saying they have a federal warrant for their arrest. The scammers even go so far as to email or text fake documents to “prove” there is a warrant out.

They will then tell the targeted victim that they have the bond authority and instructions on how to settle the matter by transferring money at a CoinFlip kiosk at a convenience store.

The scary part of the scam is that the documents that are sent to the victim contain some official logos, including the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Treasure and the federal court system.

The Sheriff’s Office wants residents to know that this is a scam. A warrant — federal or local — is served in person — never by text or email. The Sheriff’s Office also will never direct a citizen to a CoinFlip kiosk to have a warrant handled.

Anyone who is approached by one of these scammers should immediately end the contact.