New Phone Scam Targeting Our Area

Both the St. Louis County and Cass County Sheriff’s offices are warning of an uptick in scam calls in the region this past week. The callers claim to be a member of law enforcement and demand monetary payment for various reasons such as failing to appear for witness testimony or missed court dates.

Cass County Sheriff reports a victim received a scam call from an individual posing as a member of the Sheriff’s Office Administrative team, demanding payment for an unpaid fine that would lead to an arrest warrant. The fraudsters used a caller ID spoofing technique to have their number appear to be from the Sheriff’s Office and even used the name and badge number of a Sheriff’s Office official.  This led the victim and their co-workers to believe the fraudster and fall victim to the scam which involved transferring currency through a purchased “Green Dot card” to the fraudster.

The Sheriff's Office wants to advise and remind the public that law enforcement does not call members of the community to ask for payment over the phone.  If anyone receives one of these calls, do not provide any payment by cash, credit card, or gift card.  Any questions regarding payment of fines should be directed towards court administration.  If you receive one of these calls and wish to make a police report, please do so by calling 911.

If you receive this type of call or scam, protect yourself by hanging up immediately and never provide personal or financial information over the phone; instead, independently verify the information by calling the official Sheriff's Office at a number you find from their official website. Legitimate law enforcement agencies will never demand immediate payment over the phone for fines, missed court dates, or to clear warrants.

Common tactics used by scammers that have been reported recently include:

• Caller ID Spoofing: The phone number may appear to be from the local Sheriff's Office or a specific deputy's name, but this is fake.

• Sense of Urgency: Scammers create panic by claiming there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, and you must pay a fine immediately to avoid jail time.

• Demands for Payment: They will demand payment through specific, untraceable methods, such as gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

• Threats: They may threaten to come to your home if you do not pay immediately.

What to do if you receive a call like this:

• Hang up immediately: Do not provide any information, and do not stay on the line to argue or question the caller.

• Do not call back the number from the call: Scammers may be spoofing the number and you will not reach a legitimate agency.

• Call the official Sheriff's Office directly: Look up the phone number for your local Sheriff's Office on their official website, or a trusted directory, and call them to verify the claim.

• Do not share personal or financial information: This includes your Social Security number, bank account information, or payment details.

• Report the scam: You can report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and visit identitytheft.gov if you have already shared personal information.