The Humboldt County Sheriff’s
Office has recently received several reports of a phone scam
targeting our community.
As
part of this scam, the caller claims they are from the Humboldt
County Sheriff’s Office and may identify as current and/or former
employees. The scammer tells the victim that he is a deputy and
claims that the victim missed a subpoena to court and must now pay a
fine immediately to avoid arrest. Some victims have reported that the
scammer knows personal information about them, including nicknames
and former court records and insists that they are not allowed to get
an attorney or seek outside help. The scammer is spoofing the HCSO’s
phone number (707-445-7251), with their caller ID identifying the
caller as our office.
The
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like the community to know
that this is a scam. While
law enforcement may contact you regarding a warrant or investigation,
we will never demand payment in exchange for dropping a warrant or
stopping an investigation. Additionally, no government agency will
ask you to mail large sums of cash, use a credit card over the phone
or pay with gift cards or pre-paid money cards. If you have any
questions about a call, please call us at (707) 445-7251.
Remember
these tips to help protect yourself from fraud:
1.
Spot imposters
Scammers
often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a
family member, a charity or a company with which you do…
