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Sheriff's department warns of 'warrant scam'

SAN DIEGO – The “warrant scam” is back, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The department advises people to be aware of someone calling and pretending to be a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department employee asking for money in the form of gift cards. It is a scam.

The Sheriff’s Department has received several calls from the public inquiring about these suspicious telephone calls. The best response to this scam call is to hang up the phone as no amount of discussion with the scammer will be worth the effort and people may actually give them information which could be used to get the victim’s money.

To sound believable, scammers will use a real sheriff’s employee’s name or sheriff’s department telephone number which can be found online. They will also use caller ID “spoofing,” which makes it appear as though the call is coming from a sheriff’s station, substation, facilities or court offices. They may also ask that money be delivered to the sheriff’s headquarters at 9621 Ridgehaven Court in San Diego.

The caller will try to intimidate people, and as a scare tactic have said, “You have a warrant out for your arrest. Pay up or you will end up in jail.”

These scams play on people’s fears. People want to be law abiding citizens and don’t want to end up in jail, so, in a panic, they end up giving personal information or money to defuse the situation.

The Sheriff’s Department advises that when receiving a phone call in which someone is asking for money, stop – it’s scam.

The fact is no employee of the Sheriff’s Department will ever contact members of the public by telephone to demand money or any other form of payment. People that receive such a call should hang up immediately.

Another fact is outstanding warrants cannot be resolved over the phone. Warrants can only be cleared through the court. People with outstanding warrants are encouraged to turn themselves in Monday through Friday during business hours at any one of the sheriff’s court facilities.

For more information or to check if you have an outstanding warrant, visit http://www.sdsheriff.net/courts/warrants.html.

 

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