“Just hang up the phone”: ASO offers tips to avoid scams

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At a press conference this morning, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO) and Florida Elder Options shared information about scams, urged residents to hang up on possible scammers and report scam attempts, and noted that local scams are expected to increase 25% from 2025 to 2026.

ASO Public Information Officer Lisa Sacaccio hosted the press conference and said scams are one of the fastest-growing crimes; nearly everyone has received a message or phone call in which the caller demands money for a jury duty warrant, an arrest warrant, or unpaid tolls. She also mentioned romance scams, in which the caller builds a relationship with the victim and then starts asking for money.

Sheriff Scott: Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, and victims should not be ashamed

Sheriff Chad Scott said scams are becoming more sophisticated, more convincing, and more financially devastating: “These criminals are constantly evolving their tactics, using technology and exploiting fear, trust, urgency, and even love to manipulate their victims.” Scott added that many people are embarrassed to report that they’ve been scammed, but because these scammers are so convincing, nobody should be ashamed, and every report helps law enforcement “connect the dots” to stop scammers.

Florida Elder Options Elder Abuse Project Coordinator Leslie Andrews said awareness is critical to preventing scams.

Scammers impart a sense of urgency

ASO Detective Travis Parsons said scammers impart a sense of urgency in their victims and try to isolate them from their support network, whether by keeping the victim on the phone for hours at a time or telling the victim that something bad will happen if they tell anyone. They threaten some sort of negative consequence if the victim doesn’t pay, and they often ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency. 

ASO Captain Steve Maynard said it’s important to understand that these scammers have a lot of information about you, and they use it to make you think you can trust them. 

Hang up the phone and call the agency or office directly

Andrews added, “If someone is calling you, saying that they are a government official or law enforcement, please verify that. Hang up the phone, call them directly, and verify it.”

ASO Deputy Cary Gallop, who works in Crime Prevention, said scammers can even spoof valid phone numbers, so the victim’s phone might say that the call comes from the Sheriff’s Office, a business, or a relative, for example. He said, “Make sure you hang up the phone. Don’t hit redial; look up our number and dial it yourself.”

Detective Parsons said the jury duty warrant scam “is a nationwide epidemic at this point.” He also spoke about “courier scams,” in which the scammer asks the victim to buy gold and give it to a courier. 

Limit public information on social media profiles

Andrews said romance scammers use information found on social media to target victims; she advised everyone to check their social media settings and “make sure that your phone number on there is not visible, your email is not visible, and try to limit your information on there as much as possible.”

Fraud is expected to top $8.6 million in Alachua County in 2026

Maynard said the financial losses from theft, burglary, robbery, and property damage add up to about $2 million per year in Alachua County, but white-collar crime, scams, and fraud are projected to result in losses of over $8 million in 2026, just in Alachua County. Andrews added that the National Center for Elder Abuse estimates that 44 cases go unreported for each scam that is reported, so that number is probably low.

Elderly people are more likely to be targeted (about 51% of local victims in 2026 have been above the age of 60), but victims can be any age, particularly with the jury duty warrant scam.

Don’t worry about being rude to callers

Deputy Gallop said that because so many organizations gather information about customers and then sell those lists, it’s best not to answer the phone call in the first place, and don’t worry about being rude to callers you don’t know. He recommended that everyone (but particularly elderly people) have someone they trust to provide advice when they receive a phone call or message that asks for money.

Trust your sixth sense

Detective Parsons said, “Trust your sixth sense.” Victims should ask themselves whether the call or message was expected and what the caller is asking for. Watch out for someone who asks you to pay money to avoid something bad and also tells you it needs to happen right away. Parsons added, “If you try to hang up,… do they become irate? Do they pressure you more? That’s because they’re trying to prevent you from verifying that… they’re trying to steal your money.”

Regarding job offers, Parsons said, “If it seems too good to be true, it typically is.” He specifically mentioned fraudulent job offers that involve the victim in money laundering or otherwise helping an ongoing criminal enterprise.

Captain Maynard said another red flag is when the scammer gives you advice to help you explain why you’re taking so much money out of your account. For example, the scammer might tell the victim to say it’s for a vacation: “Why would someone who is a trusted person tell you to lie to the bank teller? That should be a red flag, right?” 

Andrews pointed out that a sense of urgency shuts down critical thinking.

Report the scam immediately

Detective Parsons said if you think you’re being scammed, you should hang up, and you don’t have to confront the scammer: “You don’t have to worry about keeping them on the line so we can try to trace the phone call… Just hang up the phone.” Victims should also save “every scrap of communication or receipts… And once you hang up that phone, call 911… The sooner it gets reported, the better chance we have to investigate it,… and if you have suffered loss, the sooner we can get the right resources to you in order to care for you after this traumatic event.”

Parsons said that in the past, most of these crimes originated overseas, but that’s no longer the case, and investigators have more tools than they used to; he said the sooner he learns about a scam, the more likely it is that he will be able to recover the funds or bring the scammer to justice. 

Captain Maynard said law enforcement has been reaching out to the banking industry in an effort to encourage tellers to help prevent scams by asking questions when individuals withdraw a large amount of money. 

Ask for more information

Andrews said that if a potential victim is unsure whether a call is legitimate, they can ask for written verification of the reason for calling, they can ask for time to consult someone, and they can ask for a call-back number: “Typically, that scammer is going to resist all three.”

Approach everything with a healthy dose of skepticism

Detective Parsons said it’s important to understand that scams can happen to anyone and to approach everything with “a healthy dose of skepticism.” He added that younger people can help by staying in touch with elderly family members and notifying law enforcement if they fear the relative has been contacted by a scammer; he said deputies are more than happy to talk to the potential victim and take that burden off the family member.

Call 352-955-1818 if you think you’re being scammed

Deputy Gallop said he would rather get involved too early than too late, and he recommended calling ASO’s non-emergency line if you have any questions about a potential scam: 352-955-1818, Option 5. Andrews also provided the Elder Options helpline: 1-800-262-2243.

AI can use voice samples from your voicemail greeting

Responding to a question about whether AI is being used by scammers, Deputy Gallop said the FTC put out a notification that AI apps can use your voicemail greeting to duplicate your voice and call your relatives, pretending to be you. He said the FTC recommends removing your voice from your voicemail greeting and developing passcodes or safe words with family members. 

Sheriff Scott concluded by saying his office takes these crimes very seriously, and he emphasized again that everyone is a potential victim.