Travis County District Attorney's Office warns of fraudulent callers posing as office representatives

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Travis County District Attorney's Office is warning people of fraudulent calls being reported in which a person claims to be a staff member with the office.

The DA's office said there have been at least two calls reported in the last week in which the caller claimed to be with the DA's office and said the receiver of the call needed to pay a fine.

In one of the instances, the caller used the correct name of a TCDA staff member and made it seem like they were calling from the office by using a "spoofing" app that showed the office's main number on the victim's caller ID. The victim paid the caller using Bitcoin.

In the other case, the caller used similar tactics and accused the victim of committing a crime, then threatened them with legal action if they did not attend a false pre-trial hearing, according to the DA's office. In this instance, the victim did not share any personal or financial information.

The district attorney's office said it never calls residents asking for credit/debit card numbers, wire transfers, or bank routing numbers or to seek payment over the phone. The TCDA also said it will never demand immediate payment in person with cash, gift card, or Bitcoin.

If a Travis County resident receives a phone call threatening arrest, demanding immediate payment, or requesting credit card or bank account information, TCDA said they should hang up and report the incident immediately to your local law enforcement agency.

In addition to making a report with local law enforcement, they should make an online report with the Federal Trade Commission.

Anyone who has received a similar call may contact the Travis County District Attorney’s Office at 512-854-9400 and ask to speak with an investigator to authenticate the received call.