Stafford Urges the Public to Protect Against Scams

Stafford County has recently learned that some residents are receiving fake emails and text messages that look like they are coming from Stafford County Government. These are scams designed to trick people into giving away personal information or sending money.

The best way to protect yourself is to stay informed. Below are common tactics used by scammers and simple tips to keep yourself and your family safe.

What Scammers Often Do

• Pretend to be someone official: Scammers may claim they are from a government office, bank, or well-known company to gain your trust.
• Urgency and scare tactics: They may say something bad will happen if you do not act fast, like a fine, service cut-off, or legal trouble.
• Use tricky ways to contact you: These scams can show up in emails, text messages (also called "smishing"), phone calls ("vishing") and even social media messages.
• Make things look real: They often create fake websites that look official or make phone numbers look local, even though they are not.

How to Stay Safe

• Be cautious with unexpected messages: If someone contacts you out of the blue asking for money or personal information, take a step back and check. If you didn't initiate the activity, be extra careful.
• Look closely at email addresses and phone numbers: Scammers often use small changes that are easy to miss like misspellings or similar names. If something seems off, don't respond.
• Don't click links or open attachments from strangers: These may take you to fake websites or put viruses on your device.
• Use strong passwords and turn on extra security features: Enable two-factor authentication on your online accounts when possible.

Real Example

A recent scam email claimed to be from Stafford County, asking for payment. But when you hover your mouse over the sender's name, it shows a different, suspicious email address.

Not Sure if It's Real? Call Us

If you ever receive an email, text, letter, or phone call that claims to be from Stafford County and you are not sure if it's real, call us directly at (540) 658-8600. We are happy to help you check.

If you believe you've been the victim of a scam, don't hesitate to reach out to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office by calling their non-emergency number at (540) 658-4400.

Stay alert. Ask questions. And don't let scammers catch you off guard.