RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – Law enforcement agencies across Middle Tennessee are sounding the alarm about a rash of scams targeting residents — with fraudsters posing as deputies, company representatives, and even court officials.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office says scammers recently targeted one of their own captains and a School Resource Officer (SRO). Both received phone calls from someone impersonating a sheriff’s deputy, claiming they had missed federal grand jury duty and needed to pay to avoid arrest.

According to the sheriff’s office, the con artist demanded payment over the phone — a red flag. “Sheriff’s deputies DO NOT ASK FOR MONEY in phone conversations,” the department stressed in its warning. Deputies also do not arrest people for missing federal grand jury duty, and they certainly do not demand payment to avoid arrest. In both cases, the scammer abruptly hung up after being confronted. Authorities urge residents: “Do not fall for these threatening calls. Simply hang up and save your money.”

In neighboring Williamson County, deputies have issued their own fraud alert about an Xfinity Gift Card Scam. The department reports that con artists are posing as Xfinity representatives, knowing the exact amount of a customer’s monthly bill and offering to cut it in half for the next three years — but only if the customer prepays the total using gift cards.

“This is NOT a legitimate offer,” the sheriff’s office emphasized. “Xfinity will never request payment via gift cards.” Residents are encouraged to spread the word to friends, family, and neighbors, especially those more vulnerable to such schemes. Anyone contacted by these scammers should hang up immediately and notify law enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department has issued a broad Financial Exploitation and Scam Awareness notice after a string of fraud reports. Recent scams include:

• Jury duty scams – Victims are told they missed jury service and must pay to avoid arrest.

• Arrest warrant/summons scams – Callers pose as police demanding payment.

• Dating and romance scams on social media.

• Fraudulent investment opportunities.

• Buying and selling scams targeting online marketplaces.

• Phishing emails and messages pretending to be from trusted sources.

• Work-from-home job scams.

• Remote access scams where callers request control of your device to “fix” problems.

Coffee County deputies warn: “If what is proposed seems too good to be true, it’s too good to be true. If you feel like you have been scammed, contact local law enforcement.”

Authorities in all three counties urge residents to be skeptical of unsolicited calls, never send money or gift cards to unknown individuals, and verify claims directly with official agencies before taking action.