McMinn County man loses thousands in border patrol scam, sheriff says

According to the sheriff, the victim was called in March by someone claiming to be a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent.
McMinn County man loses thousands in border patrol scam, sheriff says
McMinn County man loses thousands in border patrol scam, sheriff says(MGN (Custom credit) | MGN Image (Credit))
Published: Apr. 4, 2025 at 2:55 PM EDT
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MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy is warning of a new scam he said cost an elderly man tens of thousands of dollars.

According to the sheriff, the victim was called in March by someone claiming to be a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent. The “agent” told the man that the victim was connected to drugs and money seized at the southern border, and he needed to pay.

“The elderly victim is currently caring for a sick spouse, so was very vulnerable. The scammer even sent him a photo of an actual customs agent, along with a picture of a federal ID. It was very convincing,” said Sheriff Guy. “The scammer kept the victim on the phone as he went to several banks and withdrew a large amount of cash, which under the direction of the scammer, he placed in a shoe box. It was then that the incident became very disturbing.”

Guy added that another scammer came to the man’s house to pick up the money in a shoebox.

“That was something we’ve not seen before,” said Sheriff Guy. “But we have since discovered through the FBI that a similar scam involving a scammer coming to a residence and picking up money has occurred in other locations such as Kentucky and Louisiana.”

Guy said that federal and local law enforcement will never call asking for money.