Thurston County residents are being targeted by scammers impersonating Sheriff Derek Sanders on Facebook. They use fake accounts to send fraudulent friend requests and demand money.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release on Monday, Dec. 30, clarifying that neither Sanders nor the office operates personal Facebook profiles capable of sending friend requests.
“Both Sheriff Sanders and Thurston County Sheriff are official Facebook pages, not personal profiles. This means they cannot send friend requests,” the release stated.
Sanders also addressed the issue in a Facebook post.
“There have been a growing number of fake accounts being created under my alias. They are fake, please do not accept the friend request and report them to Facebook as fraud,” Sanders wrote.
The scammers claim victims have outstanding warrants and demand payments via unconventional methods, such as Apple gift cards or PayPal.
Sanders dismissed these tactics.
“If you’ve accepted a friend request from one of these imposter Sheriffs, don’t open any links, don’t buy them any gift cards, and don’t send them any money through PayPal," he said.
The sheriff provided a straightforward solution: contact the courts directly to handle legal issues.
“I’ve confirmed with Thurston County Superior and District Court that no amount of sacrificial gift card offerings will clear your warrant,” he said.
He urged residents to contact the court at (360) 786-5450 to address any legal issues adequately.
While Sanders maintained a serious tone about combating fraud, he lightened the mood with a humorous observation.
Referring to one fake account’s profile picture, he joked, “On a side note, I am kind of digging the floral profile pic border. Cheers!”
The Sheriff’s Office urged residents to follow the verified Facebook pages of both the Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Sanders, remain cautious, and report any suspicious activity to Facebook and law enforcement.
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Boatyarddog
Thank goodness our Sheriff has a sense of humor. Cheers to Sheriff Sanders.
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