Fake Manatee County Sheriff's Office website no longer active

The fake website was a scam that tried to trick people into thinking they had to pay a fine

By Brendan Lavell
| 4:30 p.m. September 25, 2020

The fake website, which used pictures from the real Manatee Sheriff's County Office site, was traced to a domain in the Netherlands.

East County
News

A website posing as the official online presence of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is no longer active.

The website was a scam. However, the sheriff’s office received another report this week from someone who received a call from another person claiming to be an MCSO employee.

The scammer attempted to direct them to the fake site, where there was a link to submit payment for fines or for donations to charity. The scammers used the names of real sheriff’s office employees, but provided call-back numbers that did not correspond to the MCSO.

In a news release, the sheriff’s office said “deputies will never call and ask for payment over the phone.” The MCSO said anyone who is contacted by someone they suspect to be a scammer should call the sheriff’s office at 747-3011, or walk into the office and bring it to someone’s attention.