MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck is warning residents about several scams currently circulating in the community, including fraudulent phone calls and phishing text messages.
The scams involve individuals posing as law enforcement or representatives from well-known companies like Amazon to threaten residents with arrest or claim urgent product safety recalls, according to a spokesperson.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Bengals quarterback named 7th Pro Bowler QB in franchise history
- 1 person, 1 dog found dead after fire in Dayton home
- Two former fire chiefs arrested after allegedly embezzling over $110,000 from fire department
In one recurring scam, callers pose as employees of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and claim a resident has missed a court appearance or has an urgent legal matter.
Victims are then threatened with arrest unless they provide immediate payment through platforms such as PayPal, Apple Pay, money orders or other electronic methods.
Scammers often use caller ID spoofing to make it appear the call is coming directly from the sheriff’s office.
They have also been using the real names of office employees to make the calls seem more legitimate.
Streck said these tactics are designed to create a sense of panic.
“They rely on fear and urgency to pressure people into acting quickly. Let me be very clear — the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will never call residents to demand payment or threaten arrest for unpaid fines, warrants, or missed court dates.”
The sheriff’s office has also seen an increase in phishing text messages claiming to be from Amazon or other businesses.
These messages often reference product safety recalls or other urgent issues and include links that can lead to the theft of personal or financial information.
Streck said legitimate companies do not request sensitive data through unsolicited communication.
“Do not click links from unknown or unexpected messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted business,” said Streck.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to remain vigilant and to talk with family, friends, and neighbors about these scams to help prevent further victimization.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
