Scammers are still impersonating law enforcement in Sedona and the Verde Valley, creating urgent situations to extort money from residents.
Ron Norfleet, a volunteer fraud investigator with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, has been particularly vigilant since noticing a rise in these incidents over the past year and a half. His office frequently handles cases where fraudsters pose as police officers to trick victims into sending money.
In many cases, the scammers use the names of legitimate officers, such as “Jesse Santos,” and disguise their phone numbers to make it seem like the call is coming from an official police station. Victims might be told they’ve missed court obligations or that a loved one is in trouble. Authorities stress that legitimate law enforcement does not demand payment over the phone, encouraging individuals to verify any suspicious calls directly through official channels rather than using numbers provided by the callers.
A common thread in these scams is the sense of urgency they create, pushing victims to make quick payments.
James Carswell, a victim of one such scam involving the Sedona Police Department, shared his experience during a recent Rotary Club presentation. He remarked, “Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of spoofing incidents—whether it’s someone pretending to be a family member or a police officer. It’s… kind of scary, really. I encounter many cases like that.”
Many scams revolve around accusations of missing court duties, with criminals threatening arrests. For instance, one woman lost nearly $200,000 over a few months using cryptocurrency, which has become a favored payment method for scammers, replacing gift cards.
Norfleet highlighted efforts to combat this by placing warning signs on vending machines selling cryptocurrency, alerting users to potential scams from faux government and financial agencies.
In one recent case in Sedona, a woman sent around $90,000 in Bitcoin and gift cards to someone claiming to be part of the cybercrime sector on April 21.
“Scammers use various ways to reach their targets,” Norfleet added. “It’s not just the sheriff’s office—others, like the Prescott Valley Police, are also facing similar issues.”
On April 6, a Sedona resident received a call from someone claiming to be at the Sedona Police Station, informing them of a warrant and demanding money. This led the victim to send cashier’s checks amounting to $25,000.
Earlier, on March 17, a Sedona man called a displayed number for a supposed federal insurance agency and was pressured into payment after mentioning informing his lawyer. He then received a follow-up from someone claiming to be an SPD officer who threatened him with arrest.
According to YCSO, Yavapai County residents have lost around $5.5 million to scammers. Last year, FBI reports indicated that Arizonans faced an estimated loss of $392 million to fraud, with many incidents likely unreported.
“In the same year, the Arizona Attorney General’s office recorded about 22,000 consumer complaints. They handled approximately 28,775 calls and reviewed more than 23,000 emails from consumers reporting potential scams,” noted officials.
Additionally, warnings were issued regarding fraudulent texts from scammers posing as the nonexistent “Arizona Department of Communications,” which threatened penalties unless payments were made.
“These scams aren’t going away. I’ve been making public announcements about them for over a year and a half now, but they just keep coming,” Norfleet said.
Residents can contact the YCSO Fraud Division at (928) 771-3299 or (928) 771-3260. The fraud unit also conducts public presentations on how to safeguard against scams.
The town of Clarkdale is actively informing its residents about fraud risks. During recent weekly updates, Officer Gavidson Boycelond addressed the mass fraud texts sent regarding outstanding tickets.
“If you get texts or emails that seem suspicious, feel free to reach out to the police department to verify,” the city of Clarkdale advised in their update.
