WASHINGTON — The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is spreading the word about a phone scam that’s using their name to try to pry money from people.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement that someone in the county got a call from someone claiming to be a Lt. Vance Barry, saying that there was an arrest warrant out for the person who answered the call because they’d missed a court date. The victim, the caller said, could avoid arrest by buying money cards from a nearby store and using them to pay a fine.

After getting the victim to confirm that they lived in Loudoun County, the sheriff’s office said, the caller told the victim they could go to the Loudoun County Courts Complex for a rescheduled court date, then meet with the clerk of the circuit court to get a refund.

The sheriff’s office and court clerk’s office said in the statement that “under no circumstance would a law enforcement official in Virginia be permitted to collect fines of this nature. Only the judges of the circuit court can order the payment of fines for failure to report for a court date or jury duty, but individuals would be required to attend a court hearing and explain why they neglected to report for a court date or jury duty before any fines are assessed.”

If you live in Loudoun County and you were a victim of this scam or a similar one, the sheriff’s office wants to hear from you. You can call 703-777-1021 or file a report online on their website.