Merced County sheriff warns residents about phone scams. What to know
The Merced County Sheriff’s Office has issued a scam alert over an increase in phone calls involving scammers impersonating law enforcement and court officials.
Residents have called the sheriff’s office to report receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be representatives of the sheriff’s office, the courts, or other officials.
The callers then demand money and instruct victims to deposit funds into payment kiosks, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
In other cases, residents were threatened with immediate arrest, jail time, or other legal consequences if payment was not made.
Scammers have claimed that residents had outstanding warrants, failures to appear (in court), or missed jury duty obligations, the Facbook post said.
The sheriff’s office said that law enforcement agencies and courts do not demand money over the phone.
Also, they will never request money to be deposited into kiosks, prepaid cards, or wire transfers. Threats of arrest made over the phone are a common scam tactic, the post said.
“Anyone who receives a call of this nature is encouraged to hang up immediately and not send money or provide any personal information,” the post said. “The Sheriff’s Office also encourages residents to share this information with family members, friends, and especially elderly or vulnerable individuals who may be more frequently targeted by these scams.”
