Hillsborough County Sheriff warns community of phone scam

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about an ongoing phone scam in which callers pose as law enforcement and pressure victims into handing over money.In a recent case, 24-year-old Hillsborough County resident Madeleine Wessel received a call from someone claiming to be an employee with the Sheriff’s Office. She was then transferred to a person who said he was a deputy, a tactic that investigators say scammers use to appear legitimate.The callers kept Wessel on the phone and urged her to act immediately, directing her to drive to an ATM at a local gas station to withdraw cash, according to the Sheriff’s Office.A business owner at the gas station recognized the warning signs and intervened. He told deputies he encounters similar situations nearly every week: customers on the phone, visibly upset, trying to withdraw large sums of money for someone they have never met who claims to be with law enforcement.Investigators say the scams typically