The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is warning Lake County residents about scammers calling and pretending to be the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said that during the phone calls, the scammer will claim that the person on the phone has active arrest warrants and needs to buy gift cards or pre-paid credit cards to avoid getting arrested.
The scammer will even sometimes mention the names of specific sheriff’s deputies employed by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and specific Lake County judges.
“Residents should be aware the Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not solicit bond, fine, or monetary payments via telephone,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
If you received a fraudulent telephone call, report it to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office or your local police department.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is giving residents the following tips:
- If you don’t recognize the telephone number, don’t answer the call.
- Don’t give identifying or personal information to anyone over the telephone, unless you have confirmed who you are speaking with.
- If you are unsure of a caller’s identity, ask for their name and callback number, then hang-up and verify their information via the Internet or telephone book.
- If a caller is asking for someone who isn’t currently home, simply tell the caller they can’t come to the telephone (versus informing the caller you could be home alone).