Washington County Sheriff's Office

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Scam Alert

The Sheriff's Office is aware that scammers have been using our sergeants' phone numbers to spoof call people stating they owe money for warrants, back taxes, etc.

While we can't guarantee you will never receive a call from law enforcement, such instances are rare, particularly unexpected calls. 

Law enforcement will not contact you about:

  • Payment related to outstanding warrants.
  • Unpaid back taxes to the IRS.
  • Personal financial information.
  • Payment methods like gift cards or prepaid cards.
  • Your social security number.

Law enforcement calls are typically related to:

  • Ongoing cases or incidents you are already aware of.
  • Gathering information about a specific matter by providing a certain level of context.

You can check the legitimacy of the call.

If in doubt about a call's legitimacy, hang up and contact the 911 communication center at 651-439-9381 to confirm if an officer or deputy is genuinely trying to reach you.

Scam alert graphic illustration of a mobile device displaying a call from Stillwater, Minnesota.