Santa Rosa Sheriff Warns of Holiday Scams, Rising AI Fraud, and Ongoing Risks for Law Enforcement

Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson used his weekly appearance on NewsRadio 92.3 to warn residents about a growing wave of scams—many of them ramping up just as the holiday season begins. He says his office is seeing an increase in email, text, and phone scams impersonating sheriff’s office employees. He stressed that the agency will never contact residents to request money, bail payments, fines, or gift cards.

“Anytime you get a message from someone claiming to be with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office asking for money, it’s a scam—100%,” he said. Johnson urged residents to call the sheriff’s office directly before acting on any suspicious message.

AI Deepfakes Make Scams Harder to Detect

Johnson said the newest challenge facing both residents and law enforcement is the rapid rise of AI-generated impersonation scams. He recently discovered a TikTok advertisement using a fabricated video of him promoting car insurance—words he never spoke.

He warned that criminals can now clone voices convincingly enough to fool even close family members.

Scammers are using that technology in “grandparent scams,” where they mimic a young relative in distress and demand money.

Johnson said he tells seniors to always call the real family member first, noting that in nearly every case, the supposed emergency turns out to be fake.

Sheriff Reflects on Line-of-Duty Death in Indian River County

The sheriff also discussed the recent killing of Indian River County Deputy Sweeting-Mashkow, who had just surpassed her 25-year service milestone and was considering retirement. Johnson said he spoke with Indian River Sheriff Eric Flowers to offer condolences.

He called the incident “horrible for the entire law enforcement family,” saying every deputy death is felt statewide.

The deputy was shot while assisting in an eviction—an incident Johnson said illustrates how even routine calls can turn deadly.

Policing is More Dangerous and More Scrutinized

Johnson said modern law enforcement is “a hundred times more difficult” than when he started in 1982. Deputies must react instantly to threats while also being recorded by bystanders in nearly every encounter.

He noted that officers cannot approach every stop as if a suspect is armed—doing so would escalate situations unnecessarily—but must still be prepared for dangers that can arise without warning.

Santa Rosa County Still Drawing Recruits

Despite national struggles to hire law-enforcement officers, Johnson said Santa Rosa County continues to “punch above its weight.”

He said the county enjoys overwhelming community support and is one of the few agencies in the state with a waiting list of deputy applicants.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people here love law enforcement,” he said. “Another one percent is in my jail.”

Johnson said that support makes Santa Rosa County a place where people want to live and work—something he believes is uncommon in many communities across the country.

You can listen to the full interview here.