DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) –
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to be on high alert after a wave of scam messages pretending to come from state agencies has hit the Wiregrass.
Sheriff Donald Valenza said the latest scams involve fake texts claiming to be from the Alabama Department of Revenue or Department of Transportation. One recent message falsely warned of unpaid traffic tickets and threatened suspension of driver’s licenses and tags unless immediate payment was made.
The text even cited a specific administrative code to appear legitimate. However, when residents look up the quoted statute—Alabama Administrative Code 15C—it shows up online as a known scam.
Valenza emphasized that government agencies will not notify individuals of legal matters by text message, especially from suspicious international phone numbers. One scam came from a number beginning with “+63,” a clear sign it originated outside the country.
A second scam reported this week targeted pistol permit holders, falsely claiming residents could “grandfather in” a lifetime permit by paying $95 or $19 online.
“That’s not how our permits work,” the sheriff warned.
In a few cases, people have lost thousands of dollars. One man was scammed out of $8,700 before the company involved helped reverse the transaction.
“We don’t text, we don’t email,” Valenza said. “ We’ll send deputies to your house if we want to talk to you.”
Residents with questions or suspicious messages should call the sheriff’s office directly. The sheriff’s office urges everyone to stay alert and never click suspicious links or send money without verifying the source.
