Phone Scam: Fake Sheriff’s Deputy Claims Victim has Arrest Warrant

0
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has received multiple reports of attempted telephone fraud involving a caller claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy. The caller had the ability to “spoof” the victim’s caller ID to make it appear the call originated from the Sheriff’s Office.
The caller claimed that someone in the household had a warrant for their arrest as a result of missing jury duty. The caller knew the correct name of the resident, but did not appear to possess any personally identifiable information. The caller attempted to extort money from the victim in order to have the warrant recalled. The victim recognized the call as a scam and hung up.

The Sheriff’s Office does not solicit the payment of fines or fees over the phone. Area residents are advised to treat any unsolicited caller who requests payment with extreme skepticism, regardless of who the caller claims to represent. When in doubt get the caller’s name, hang up, and then call the business or government entity back at a phone number you know to be correct.