Crime & Safety
Scam Warning: Sonoma County Sheriff's Warn Area Residents
In this scam, a caller tells residents they are wanted on an arrest warrant and then demands money.
By Bay City News
Sonoma County sheriff's officials are warning community members of a scam in which a caller tells residents they are wanted on an arrest warrant and then demands money.
Several Sonoma County residents contacted the sheriff's office on Tuesday to report that they had been targeted by the scammer, according to the sheriff's office.
The caller, a male who uses the names Brent Jones or Tommy Jones and claims to work for the sheriff's office, tells victims a warrant has been issued for their arrest, officials said.
The scammer says that in order to resolve the situation, the resident needs to purchase a Green Dot prepaid debit card, then call back and leave a voice mail message with the card's identification number, according to the sheriff's office.
In a similar scam earlier in the week, four residents reported receiving calls from someone claiming to be with Sonoma County Superior Court who demanded that they pay a fine in order to clear an arrest warrant for failing to appear for jury duty, sheriff's officials said.
The sheriff's office is advising anyone who receives such a call to contact a local law enforcement agency to report the incident immediately.
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