While many residents are using their phones to share holiday greetings and make plans, some are receiving calls from a spoofed fax number at the Limestone County Courthouse.

Limestone County Circuit Clerk Brad Curnutt said the scam happens at least once a year, and 2019 is no exception. A woman recently visited his office with a recording of a call she received from 256-232-0764, the office’s fax number.

In the recording, Curnutt said, the caller identifies himself as “Officer Chad Brussard” with “Central Department Process Serving” and tells the woman he’s tried repeatedly to get in touch with her. The caller provides a different phone number and says the woman must call it immediately to avoid legal action, including being charged with a crime.

“He sounds real stern, like he’s really into this,” Curnutt told The News Courier. Curnutt called the number provided and got a recording for CMS Financial Group.

When The News Courier called, an employee asked for a case number or other information and claimed to have no knowledge of the situation or similar attempts at contact. The employee offered to tell her supervisor about the caller pretending to be a local law enforcement officer.

Described online as a debt collection agency, CMS Financial Group is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau and is featured in several negative reviews across multiple websites, often with slightly different phone numbers. Accusations include the company harassing individuals over debts that have already been paid, claiming a debt must be paid before it sends documentation proving said debt is owed, and opening credit cards in customers’ names without their permission.

Curnutt said he’s seen the court-related scam a few times, and it’s usually the same setup — call potential victim, threaten, demand payment to avoid future harassment. He said his office will never make that type of call.

“The clerk’s office is not going to call and ask you to wire money,” Curnutt said. “The clerk’s office will not ask you to purchase prepaid cards.”

In some cases, the person receiving the call has an open court case and isn’t sure if a debt is owed. Curnutt said anyone who isn’t sure can call the office’s real phone line at 256-233-6406 for assistance. He said the woman who brought the recording to his office determined the case number provided by the scammer was fake and she did not have an open case in the Limestone County court system.