The Kern County Sheriff's Office has warned community members that they are investigating a telephone scam involving an individual claiming to be a Sheriff's Deputy.
According to KCSO, "the suspect tells the victim they missed jury duty, have a warrant, or have an unpaid fine. The suspect then threatens to arrest the victim if they do not make a payment. The scam often requires the victim to purchase “money paks” or “green dot cards” from local stores. The victim then tells the suspect the activation number on the back of the card and the money is transferred. Often times, the suspect re-contacts the victim and claims more money is needed for “court costs.”
The victim’s “caller id” may show a local telephone number or the suspect may tell the victim to drive to Sheriff’s Headquarters and call him back.
The Sheriff's Office WILL NOT call you to request payments or threaten arrest if a payment is not made.
Please make sure you report any such incidents to the Sheriff's Office at (661) 861-3110.
