Written by Saturday, 15th, August 2026
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. – The Burke County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about an increase in fraudulent phone calls in which scammers impersonate law enforcement officers and threaten victims with arrest or other legal consequences unless they make a payment.
According to the sheriff’s office, callers have reportedly identified themselves as “Sgt. Shawn Michaels” and/or “Deputy Shawn Matthews” with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.
During the calls, the scammers claim the person receiving the call has been indicated, missed jury duty, failed to appear in court or has an active warrant for their arrest.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office says the calls are scams.
Authorities emphasized that the sheriff’s office will not call someone and demand payment over the phone to avoid arrest, clear an outstanding warrant, resolve missed jury duty, take care of an indictment or address a failure to appear in court.
Law enforcement agencies also will not require people to make payments using gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or other unusual payment methods to avoid being arrested.
Residents who receive unsolicited or suspicious calls should not provide Social Security numbers, banking information, credit card numbers or other sensitive personal or financial information.
Anyone receiving a suspicious call should hang up and independently contact the Burke County Sheriff’s Office using a verified telephone number or submit a report through the Burke County Sheriff’s office app.
Officials are also warning residents not to call a telephone number provided by the suspected scammer and not to rely solely on the number displayed through called ID. Scammers can use a technique known as “spoofing” to make a call appear to originate from a legitimate telephone number or agency.
The sheriff’s office is urging anyone who receives one of the calls not to panic or send money. Scammers frequently use threats to immediate arrest, warrants and other legal consequences to create fear and pressure potential victims into acting before they have time to verify the claims.
Residents are encouraged to share the warning with family members, friends and others in the community, particularly elderly or vulnerable individuals who may be targeted by scammers.
SCAM ALERT — WHAT TO REMEMBER
- Law enforcement will not demand immediate payment over the phone to prevent an arrest.
- Never provide Social Security, banking, credit card or other sensitive information to an unsolicited caller.
- Never send gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers to someone claiming the payment will resolve a warrant or other criminal matter.
- Do not trust caller ID alone. Telephone numbers can be spoofed.
- Hang up and independently contact the Burke County Sheriff’s Office through a verified method if you are unsure whether a call is legitimate.
- Do not allow threats of arrest or other legal action to pressure you into making an immediate payment.
Residents who receive one of these calls are urged to hang up, verify the information independently and never send money to the caller.