The Yancey County Sheriff’s Office would like to alert the public to a scam targeting local residents. Scammers are contacting individuals by text and phone, claiming there is an outstanding warrant or outstanding traffic citation, and demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest.
Please be advised: The Yancey County Sheriff’s Office will never call, text, or message you to inform you of a warrant or to request payment of any kind.
The Sheriff’s Office does not collect money for citations, fines, or warrants. Any legitimate payments related to court matters are processed exclusively through the North Carolina court system, not by law enforcement.
If you receive such a call or message, do not provide any personal or financial information. If you would like to verify any claim being made about a warrant or fine, hang up the suspected scam call and contact the Sheriff’s Office directly at 828-682-2124.
You should never purchase or send a gift card to pay for any type of fine, warrant, or legal issue.
We urge residents to remain vigilant and to help spread this message to protect others in our community from falling victim to these scams.
