A chilling new phone scam has prompted police to issue an urgent warning: If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the local sheriff’s office demanding payment, hang up immediately. The criminals often mask their phone numbers to mimic actual sheriff’s office or non-emergency lines. They even use the names of real deputies to add credibility to their scam. Victims are told they have outstanding warrants, owe fines, or have missed jury duty or court appearances. The scammers then offer a “solution” — pay a fine over to phone to avoid arrest and/or jail time. The perpetrators then advise the victim that their credit card has been declined and instruct them to purchase gift cards and call back with the card information. Police are advising the public that when a person actually owes fines to the courts or has an active warrant for their arrest, law enforcment will never call them. All correspondence for fines is done via mail, and arrest warrants are handled in person. Authorities urge anyone who has lost money or property to these scams to report the incident to local law enforcement.
