The Sedgwick County sheriff’s office is alerting area residents to a scam involving individuals identifying themselves as employees of the sheriff’s office. The office has been notified that suspects representing themselves as employees of the sheriff’s office are falsely informing victims they have a warrant for their arrest for missing jury duty. The suspects then instruct the victim to obtain gift cards to pay a fine.
Per the Sedgwick County sheriff’s office, office employees do not solicit payment for any fines over the phone or in person.
Scammers prey on people with official sounding phone calls and make good people feel desperate and concerned. Scammers also utilize Caller ID “spoofing” to make the phone calls look legitimate. The sheriff’s office warns residents not to fall into this trap and reminds them to not give out personal information, including social security number, to someone who calls. Additionally, it is recommended to never pay someone over the phone with a credit card, debit card, gift card or prepaid debit card unless you initiated the purchase.
If you receive a call and want to verify its legitimacy, you can contact the Sedgwick County sheriff’s office at 316-660-3880. If you have been a victim of the described scam, call the local law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction.
