BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — A new scam in Bexar County involves someone calling and asking you to pay for your 'outstanding warrant.'
The phone call comes from a legitimate Bexar County number, and the caller even calls themselves a deputy, but the Bexar County Clerk's Office wants people to know that it's all a scam.
"If any of my employees were to call you, it would just be for a correction of a document," said Lucy Adame-Clark, Bexar County clerk. "None of my employees, out of my 171 employees, should be calling you to request any kind of money."
The scam almost fooled Charlie Moke, who was startled at the urgency of the phone message.
"You do kind of sit back and you try to go through your memory about all the things that you possibly could have done or whatever," he said. "[The voicemail said] 'Mr. Moke, this is Deputy' and he gave me a name of Precinct 1. 'We have a personal matter to discuss with you. It is imperative that you contact us today to prevent us from having to go out and pick you up.'"
Moke says he was lucky, he called the Bexar County number back, the clerk's office and Precinct 1 to check if he did indeed have a warrant.
"I picked up and I called and I spoke to the constable side of the office, and they looked up my name, my address, everything said, 'sir, we have nothing on you,'" Moke said. "We don't have a deputy by that name in our office."
Beyond the number being spoofed, Moke believes the scammers don't expect for someone to actually call the correct office considering the scammers called him back twice. He expects the second and third time, they were looking for money.
"It's just beware because there are people out there and they're a lot smarter than we are," he said. "And the problem is that they will take advantage of you if you allow yourself to be taken advantage of."
For Adame-Clark, this scam is reminiscent of one that happened about two years ago in which victims of the scam send gift cards to the clerk's office. The District Attorney's office had to get involved. It's why she hopes to get ahead of the scam, so no one becomes a victim.
"Do not give any money," she said. "Do not wire any money. Do not buy a gift card. If you have any concerns or you second question yourself, contact the county clerk's office.”
To get a hold of the Bexar County Clerk's Office, you can call 210-335-2106 or click here.