Phone scammers posing as Madera County social services

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a phone scam in which callers are asking for personal information while posing as Social Services workers.

Residents in Madera, Fresno, Tulare and Sanger have been receiving phone calls over the past few weeks from the scammers, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

The scam can be tricky because the caller ID can show the same number as the real number for Madera DSS administration, 559-675-7841.

At least one resident gave the caller personal information, according to the statement.

Investigators believe at least one of the suspects is based in Puerto Rico, with the scammer “spoofing” the phone number to show up as Madera DSS.

“Madera DSS is not making these phone calls and there is no legitimate reason a representative from Madera DSS would need to call and ask for this type of information,” officials said.

To avoid being scammed, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office advises residents to follow the general rule to not give personal information to anyone unless communicating with the direct intended recipient. Also, residents should be suspicious of offers that appear “too good to be true.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Phone scammers posing as Madera County social services."