The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff would again like to warn the public about people who are impersonating employees of the Office of the Sheriff.
In the last several weeks, an unknown man has called residents in the East Bay and beyond claiming to be a lieutenant from the Office of the Sheriff. The caller tells listeners that they failed to appear for jury duty, have an outstanding traffic violation or warrant for their arrest and that unless they pay hundreds of dollars in fines and fees, they will be arrested.
And, in order to avoid this, the caller instructs listeners to make payment over the phone through reloadable prepaid cards that could be purchased at a local store. These callers are also giving listeners actual phone numbers to the Office of the Sheriff.
It is not the practice of the Office of the Sheriff, or any law enforcement agency to have people pay fines or avoid an arrest warrant by paying through reloadable prepaid cards.
Several people have been victimized by this type of fraudulent activity. Anyone receiving such a call should refuse to provide any personal information to the caller or simply hang up. Please contact your local law enforcement agency and notify them of the incident.
Information provided by the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
