FORT MYERS. FLA. — A Fort Myers said he fell victim to a phone scam where someone impersonated a Lee County Sheriff's deputy to steal his money.
Kyle McHenry got a call from someone who claimed to be a deputy. He said they told him there was a warrant out for his arrest.
McHenry said he believes the caller used a technique called spoofing, which allows scammers to make their phone number appear legitimate on caller ID.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
"They called from the same number. When I called the sheriff's office, they called from the same number," McHenry said.
McHenry said he was particularly vulnerable to the scam because he has had previous issues with law enforcement and thought he might have missed a court date.
"I didn't handle something like, I might have missed court, and I thought it was a real deputy," McHenry said.
The scammer told McHenry that to clear up the warrant, he would need to provide his bank information. Worried about being arrested, McHenry said he complied with the request.
"I got a letter in the mail stating that there was a charge going to my bank account, and it was for $100 and it was for Amazon secure card," McHenry said.
That's when he realized he had been scammed. McHenry filed a report with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
McHenry, who said he has autism, said his disability made it harder for him to recognize the scam.
"I also have a disability. I have autism, and it's hard for me to understand what not to do with scams like this," McHenry said.
A spokesperson for the Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that LCSO will never contact people and ask for payment of any kind.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office said it's aware of a series of ongoing scams that tend to circulate. The sheriff's office said scams vary in nature, and some may involve the following:
A scammer posing as an employee of LCSO calling to request money from an individual to avoid a warrant being issued
- Scammers requesting a victim to purchase gift cards as a form of payment for a service
- -Grandparent scams"; in which a scammer cold calls an individual claiming their grandchild is in need of financial assistance and requests payment either in person at a predetermined meet-up location, or via online means
- A scammer may call posing as an employee of LCSO claiming you missed jury duty and need to pay a fine to avoid being arrested
Here are some sprevention tips:
- If it sounds suspicious, it likely is. Hang up immediately or cease contact with the individual and contact your local law enforcement jurisdiction
- LCSO will NEVER contact you and ask for payment of any kind
- Never provide personal or financial information in response to an unexpected call, text, or email
- If you observe this type of scam, gather all the information you can and report the scam to LCSO at 239-477-1000, or to our Fraud Line at 239-258-3292, or file a report online: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=FLLCSO [reportfraud.ftc.gov]
McHenry said he hopes by sharing his experience, it will help others avoid his outcome.
"Do not give your personal information out. Always call the sheriff's office first to check if you have a warrant and never disclose your bank information," McHenry said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
