SOUTH GEORGIA, (WALB) - Scammers posing as law enforcement and court officials are ramping up their efforts across South Georgia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Some of the most disturbing reports involve callers demanding nude photos or explicit videos from victims — often women — under the threat of arrest or legal trouble.

U.S. Attorney: Scammers are impersonating law enforcement

United States Attorney Will Keyes said his office is seeing an increase in phone scams where criminals pretend to be law enforcement officers, sheriff’s deputies, or court personnel.

“Individuals were told to submit nude images or to conduct a search. Of course, law enforcement would never require this of someone, and these individuals were posing as law enforcement,” Keyes said.

Keyes urged anyone who receives a suspicious call to stop and verify before doing anything.

“If they receive contact by phone, or if there are any questions as to the legitimacy of what they are being asked or required to do, I encourage them to contact directly the court, police department, sheriff’s office, or law enforcement agency because these scams are very common,” he said.

WALB: Women told to undress and take photos at public locations

Victims said a caller claimed to be with a local agency and ordered them to go to a nearby store, undress in a restroom, and take explicit photos of themselves to “prove” they were not hiding anything or to comply with an “investigation.”

Authorities say these callers are not legitimate officers. Instead, they are scammers using fake names, spoofed phone numbers, and fear tactics to control and exploit victims.

Local and federal investigators stress that:

• Real law enforcement will never ask you to undress, send nude photos, or perform explicit acts on camera.
• They will not conduct investigations over the phone in this way.

Other scams on the rise: jury duty, warrants, and spoofed numbers

Officials say the nude-photo and “sextortion”-style scams are part of a broader rise in phone fraud across Georgia and the country.

Sheriffs’ offices in South Georgia and other parts of the state have reported:

• Jury duty scams – Callers claim you missed jury duty and face arrest unless you pay an immediate “fine.”
• Warrant scams – Scammers say there is a warrant for your arrest and demand payment to “clear it.”
• Spoofed numbers – The caller ID shows the real number of a sheriff’s office, police department, or government agency, even though the call is coming from somewhere else.

In one South Georgia case reported by WALB, a resident lost thousands of dollars after a scammer used a spoofed sheriff’s office number to make the call appear legitimate.

Authorities say criminals often demand payment through:

• Prepaid gift cards
• Cryptocurrency
• Cash apps or peer-to-peer payment services
• Wire transfers

Those are red flags that the call is not real.

National context: billions lost to scams every year

Federal data show these crimes are part of a nationwide trend.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lose billions of dollars each year to fraud. Phone calls and text messages are consistently among the top methods scammers use to reach victims.

Consumer protection officials say millions of people are targeted annually. Many never report what happened because they feel embarrassed, ashamed, or worry they will not be believed.

The FBI has noted a rise in “sextortion” cases — scams where criminals demand explicit images or videos under threat of exposure, arrest, or harm to the victim or their family.

Keyes said his office is working with the FBI and sheriff’s offices across the country to identify suspects and bring justice to victims, but prevention is still the most effective defense.

How to protect yourself

Law enforcement and federal prosecutors offer these tips to stay safe:

• Hang up and verify. If someone calls claiming to be a deputy, officer, or federal agent, hang up. Look up the agency’s official number yourself and call back.
• Never send nude photos or explicit videos. No legitimate law enforcement or government agency will ever ask for this.
• Do not pay over the phone with gift cards, apps, or cryptocurrency. Real agencies do not demand payment this way.
• Slow down. Scammers create a sense of urgency, saying you must act “right now” or face arrest or serious consequences. Take time to check the story.
• Talk to someone you trust. If you get a scary call, pause and check with a family member, friend, or local law enforcement before responding.
• Report the scam. Even if you didn’t lose money, reports help investigators spot patterns and warn others.

How to report a scam

If you believe you’ve been targeted by a scam:

• Contact your local police department or sheriff’s office.
• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
• For online and extortion-related scams, you can also file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

Authorities say no one should feel ashamed if they were tricked.

“These scams are very common,” Keyes said. “The important thing is to come forward, report what happened, and help us stop it from happening to someone else.”

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