Frederick County Scam Watch

How the scam works

Callers identify themselves as Frederick County Sheriff's Office deputies. Many use a real deputy's name. The caller ID often shows a Frederick County prefix because scammers spoof the number. The caller tells the person there is a warrant for their arrest, a missed jury duty notice, or an unpaid court fine, and demands immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.

How to recognize it

• The Frederick County Sheriff's Office does not call residents to demand payment.
• No legitimate law enforcement agency accepts payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
• Sheriff's deputies serve real warrants in person, never by phone.
• The caller may sound calm and professional. Tone is not proof.

What to do

• Hang up. You will not be in trouble for hanging up on a real deputy.
• Write down the number that called you.
• Report the call to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at (301) 600-2071.
• If you are not sure what to do, call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220. We will walk through it with you.

How the scam works

Scammers send emails that look like they come from Frederick County government employees. The email asks the recipient to pay permit fees, inspection fees, or development charges by wire transfer or by mailing a check to a P.O. box. Real Frederick County government departments do not request payment by personal email and never to an unfamiliar address.

How to recognize it

• The email asks for payment that does not match a notice you already received in the mail.
• The email address looks similar to a county address but is not exactly the same.
• The payment instructions include wire transfer or P.O. box delivery.
• The email creates urgency, often with a short deadline.

What to do

• Do not reply to the email. Do not click any links.
• Call the listed department directly using the number on FrederickCountyMD.gov.
• Forward the email to the Maryland Attorney General Consumer Protection Division.
• If you have already paid, call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220 right away. The first hour matters.

How the scam works

Older adults across Maryland are receiving phone calls that sound exactly like a grandchild, child, or other family member. The voice claims to be in jail, in a car accident, or stranded and needing money right now. AARP reports that scammers can clone a voice from as little as three seconds of audio pulled from a social media video. The voice on the other end is real-sounding. A computer generates it.

How to recognize it

• The caller pressures you to act before you can call anyone else.
• The caller asks you to keep the situation secret from other family members.
• The caller asks for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
• The story has urgency but few specifics you can verify.

What to do

• Hang up. Call the family member back on a phone number you already have saved.
• Establish a family safe word that only your family knows. A scammer cannot guess it.
• Talk with grandchildren about removing voice samples from public social media.
• If you have already sent money, call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220 immediately.

First reported in Frederick County: Tuesday, May 20, 2026

How the toll scam works

A text message arrives claiming you owe a small unpaid toll, often between $4.95 and $12.95. The message says your account will be suspended, your license revoked, or late fees added if you do not pay immediately. The text includes a link that opens a fake website designed to look like E-ZPass, EZDriveMA, FasTrak, or SunPass. The site asks for your credit card number, billing address, and sometimes your Social Security number or date of birth. None of the toll information is real. The criminals use your card and identity within minutes.

How to recognize a toll payment scam

• You receive a text about an unpaid toll without ever signing up for text alerts from a toll agency.
• The text demands payment within 12 to 48 hours and threatens license suspension or vehicle registration loss.
• The link in the text does not match the real toll agency's website. Real E-ZPass websites end in e-zpassmd.com or your state's official toll authority domain.
• The sender's phone number is from a foreign country, has too many digits, or uses an email address.
• The text uses generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your real name.
• You receive a toll scam text from a state you have never driven in.

What to do about toll payment scam texts

• Do not click the link in the text under any circumstances. Even opening the link can install tracking software on your phone.
• Do not reply to the text, including replying "STOP." Any reply confirms your phone number is active and invites more scam texts.
• Delete the text immediately. Forward it first to 7726 (which spells SPAM) to report it to your mobile carrier.
• If you genuinely have an E-ZPass account, log into e-zpassmd.com directly to check for any real balance owed.
• Report the scam to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
• If you clicked the link and entered card information, call your card issuer right away to freeze the card, then call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220 for help with the next steps.

First reported in Frederick County: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

How the Publishers Clearing House scam works

A caller says the older adult has won a major Publishers Clearing House prize, often a million dollars or a new car. The caller claims to be a PCH representative, sometimes a "prize patrol" team member, sometimes a lawyer or accountant handling the payout. Before the prize can be released, the caller says, the winner must pay taxes, processing fees, or insurance charges. The amounts start small, often a few hundred dollars, but grow into thousands as the caller invents new fees. The caller demands payment by gift card, wire transfer, or money order. No prize ever arrives.

How to recognize a Publishers Clearing House scam

• The caller asks for money up front. Real Publishers Clearing House never charges fees, taxes, or anything else to a winner.
• The caller demands gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or money orders. Legitimate prize organizations do not collect payments this way.
• The caller says you must keep the win secret until they finish the paperwork.
• The caller pressures you to act today, claiming the prize will be forfeited if you wait.
• The phone number has a foreign area code or shows as "unknown caller."
• You do not remember entering a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes.

What to do if a PCH caller asks for money

• Hang up. Real Publishers Clearing House notifies winners in person or by certified mail, never by demanding payment over the phone.
• Do not give the caller any personal information including your address, Social Security number, or bank details.
• Verify any prize claim directly at pch.com by logging into your account or calling PCH's official line at 1-800-459-4724.
• Report the call to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• If money has changed hands, call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220 right away. Quick action can sometimes recover wire transfers if reported in the first few hours.

First reported in Frederick County: Tuesday, April 15, 2026

How the Medicare phone scam works

A caller claims to work for Medicare, the Social Security Administration, or a Medicare Advantage plan. The caller says Medicare is issuing new cards, that benefits will be cancelled, that the older adult qualifies for a back brace or knee brace at no cost, or that you have a prescription refund coming. The caller asks the older adult to verify their Medicare number, Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account before the benefit can be processed. The caller is not from Medicare. Scammers sell that information or use it to file fraudulent claims, drain bank accounts, or open new credit lines in the older adult's name.

How to recognize a Medicare phone scam

• Medicare does not call beneficiaries to ask for personal information, account numbers, or money. Real communication from Medicare comes through the mail.
• The caller offers medical equipment at no cost such as braces, scooters, or genetic testing kits and asks for your Medicare number to ship them.
• The caller claims you are about to lose your Medicare benefits unless you verify your identity right now.
• The caller says they are issuing new Medicare cards and need your existing card number.
• The caller asks for your Social Security number along with your Medicare number.
• The caller pressures you to decide before hanging up.

What to do about a Medicare call

• Hang up. Do not press any number on your phone, even to "speak to a representative" or "remove your number from the list."
• Never give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information to anyone who calls you. Give it only when you initiated the call to a verified number.
• Verify any Medicare claim by calling Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) using a number from your own card or paperwork.
• Report Medicare fraud to the Maryland Senior Medicare Patrol at (800) 243-3425.
• If you already gave information, call Sentinel Silver at (855) 301-4220. We will walk you through freezing your credit, contacting Medicare, and filing the right reports.