You get a call about an arrest warrant. Rather than asking you to take the caller's word for it, the person directs you to what appears to be a county sheriff's website and tells you to search your own name. It might feel like a way to double-check the claim.
But the Denton County Sheriff's Office in Texas says impersonators are using that exact detour. In an October 29, 2026 warning, deputies described a fake sheriff website with a name-search feature and phone numbers that do not belong to the county. The individual call dates and any financial losses connected with this particular website were not reported.
Sources: Cross Timbers Gazette · Denton County Sheriff's Office
The fake verification step is part of the call
According to local reporting by the Cross Timbers Gazette, the sheriff's office learned of an imitation site presenting itself as the Denton County Sheriff's Office. Callers were referring residents to that site, then guiding them through a purported search for active warrants.
The name-search feature is the unusual part. A person who is understandably alarmed about possible arrest might think checking the site is safer than trusting a stranger on the phone. But a page supplied by the same stranger is not an independent check, even if it looks professional.
The sheriff's office said the imitation used a .org address while Denton County government pages are on the county's .gov website. A website ending in .org is not inherently fraudulent; the problem in this case is the specific site allegedly impersonating a government office.
Sources: Cross Timbers Gazette · Denton County Sheriff's Office
Even the website's callback numbers could mislead
The October 29 alert makes clear why a supposed second verification step can still fail: the website itself supplied contact numbers that were not official.
That means a resident might distrust the original call, visit the site as instructed, and then dial another number that still does not reach the sheriff. The exact destination or operators of those listed numbers were not established in the reporting.
The sheriff's actual website lists a main office number and separate numbers for its warrants unit. Both can be found on dentoncounty.gov without following a link from the suspicious caller.
“Additionally, the phone numbers listed on this website are not associated with Denton County.”
Sources: Cross Timbers Gazette · Denton County
Warning signs when someone calls about a warrant
The FBI warned in September 2026 that law-enforcement impostors commonly initiate contact by phone, sometimes spoofing real caller IDs and threatening arrest over imagined legal problems. A displayed number can be faked, and a convincing web page cannot establish who called.
Real county and court records can have limitations, too. Denton County's official public-records page says underlying court documents are the authority for verifying case details. Do not rely on a stranger's screenshot or website search result.
- The caller announces an arrest warrant and directs you to a website chosen by the caller.
- A county-looking page asks you to enter your name or personal details before you can check the claim.
- The page's address is not on the actual county government website.
- Someone pressures you to pay, share sensitive information, or act before calling the agency independently.
Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center · Denton County
How to check without following the caller
End the incoming call.
You do not need to stay on the line while someone narrates a supposed search or threatens you.
Open the official county website yourself.
For Denton County, type dentoncounty.gov. Visit its sheriff page or official helpful-numbers directory, not a search result supplied by the caller.
Call the published office number.
Ask whether a real matter requires your attention. The county lists a main sheriff number and a warrants-unit number. Do not trust a callback number shown on the suspect page.
Refuse unexpected payments.
Do not send gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash to settle a claimed warrant over a call.
Sources: Denton County Sheriff's Office · Denton County · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
If you searched, shared details, or paid
If you only visited the page, close it and do not call numbers shown there. If you provided passwords, change them through the genuine service and enable two-factor authentication. If you disclosed a Social Security number or financial information, follow the recovery steps at IdentityTheft.gov and contact your bank as appropriate.
If you paid, contact the bank, payment app, or other provider right away to ask about stopping or reversing the transaction. Save call logs, screenshots and transaction records without revisiting the imitation site. You can report suspected impersonation to local law enforcement, the FBI's IC3, and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Recovery is not guaranteed.
You can also look up or report a suspicious number on PhoneYa to help others recognize similar calls. Its community reports cannot certify a caller's identity, and spoofed numbers can belong to unrelated people or agencies.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
Sources & further reading
- Cross Timbers GazetteDenton County Sheriff's Office warns about fake sheriff's website scam | October 29, 2026
- Denton County Sheriff's OfficeOfficial Sheriff's Office website and verified main phone number | accessed November 1, 2026
- Denton CountySheriff's Office Helpful Phone Numbers, including warrants unit | accessed November 1, 2026
- Denton CountyJudicial and Law Enforcement Records Search | accessed November 1, 2026
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint CenterScammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes | September 17, 2026
- Federal Trade CommissionWhat To Do if You Were Scammed | consumer recovery guidance
By PhoneYa Editorial, based on the sources above.