More than $20K lost in caller scam sweeping El Paso County

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - If you've recently received a call from someone claiming to be a deputy with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) or an officer with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) you're not alone. The scammers most likely tell you that you failed to appear for a jury summons and that you need to pay money to fix the situation. They'll tell you to pay and then go to the sheriff's department, but EPSO says that is not standard procedure. EPSO tells KRDO13 that law enforcement will never ask for money, especially over the phone.

Sergeant Kurt Smith with EPSO confirmed to KRDO13 that the department has had 35 scam call cases since January 1, 2024. Sgt. Smith says the number is lower than one would anticipate because the cases involve those who have lost money. He said many people report the scam but have not lost money so it would not be tracked, and some people do not report it.   

In total EPSO says it adds up to approximately $20,000 in stolen funds.

A Colorado Springs woman, Erin Parker, just narrowly avoided almost losing nearly $10,000.

Parker tells KRDO13 she already had an open case with EPSO, so when she saw she was getting a call from them she thought they'd have an update for her. Instead, the people over the phone claiming to be deputies told her she missed a jury summons.

"I said I was unaware that I was supposed to serve on a jury," recounted Parker.

The scammers told her that she had signed off on a letter in December saying that she would be there. They told her she needed to go to EPSO to do a signature verification to claim that wasn't hers and that she now had two warrants out for her arrest.

"And also there's two warrants out for your arrest, because of your failure to appear," explained Parker, "He said it has a $9,500 bond on it. And immediately my like alerts were going off."

She says they started to throw all sorts of legal jargon at her, eventually escalating to threats over the phone. She says they told her she had to pay, or else they would send deputies to her house right away. Parker grew suspicious and searched for the phone number. She tells KRDO13 it popped up as the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.

"It felt so, it felt so real. At the time, and especially after I googled the number, I was like, like trying to make it not make sense," shared Parker.

Parker says she knew her husband was on his way home and that he could call the department to confirm if these were real deputies. She says they kept pressuring her to stay on the phone and meet up at a convenience store to pay them the alleged bond.

"He was telling me I couldn't hang up. The phone is being recorded. We have to stay on the line the entire time," explained Parker.

Her husband was shocked at the call he walked into.

"One red flag for me is he was aggressive and really unprofessional. That's when I was listening to the conversation because he was on speakerphone. Like, there's no way this is a sergeant or someone who is supposed to protect us. And talking to a woman like that, like, this is weird," explained Matthew Parker, Erin's husband, "You don't threaten to handcuff people in front of their children. I was like, something does not add up here. So that's when I called 911."

Operators confirmed it was a scam call and the names of deputies and sergeants the scammers had provided were not actual employees. They instructed the Parkers to hang up the call.

"It was very scary. When I hung up that phone, I was literally shaking, like I was so mad that somebody does this," recounted Erin Parker.

Now the pair are sharing their story to help raise awareness so others don't even come close to falling victim to the scam.

"I don't want anybody else to feel this way. Like I, I hate feeling like I'm being taken advantage of. And as a woman, that happens a lot. And so, like, if this could help anybody who, you know, receives a suspicious call, then. Yeah, absolutely. Because it's a terrible feeling," shared Parker.

EPSO also shared a few tips to protect yourself:

• Verify Law Enforcement Identity:
  If the caller claims to be an officer or deputy, call your local law enforcement agency’s non-emergency number. Ask whether the individual is employed there or if a deputy is trying to reach you.
• Never Send Money:
  Official agencies will never ask for money. Scammers often use wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency because these methods are hard to trace, and it is difficult to recover the money.
• Confirm Civil Paperwork Claims:
  If the caller claims the issue is related to civil paperwork, contact your local courthouse to verify if you have an active case.
• Jury Duty Concerns:
  If the call pertains to jury duty, get in touch with your jury commissioner to determine if you actually missed jury duty. Typically, if you did, you can reschedule.
• Screen Incoming Calls:
  If you receive a call from an unknown number, let the caller leave a message. If the message claims to be from the Sheriff’s Office, call directly at 719-390-5555 to verify the call’s legitimacy.