July 12, 2016 -  The Tuolumne County Sheriff Department reminds residents there are several telephone scams floating around the Motherlode.

Scam #1: A subject, claiming to be a representative of a local Bail Bonds Company, is calling and demanding that past due money be sent via Western Union to a P.O. Box. The Bail Bonds Company has been contacted by the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office and confirmed the payment requests to be a scam.

Scam #2: A subject, claiming to be a family member incarcerated in an out of state jail, is asking for money to be wired to a Bail Bondsman on their behalf. This is a classic scam which has victimized local residents for years now. When in doubt, do your research and contact that local jail to ask if your loved one is incarcerated.

Scam #3: A subject, claiming to be a representative of the Publishers Clearing House, is calling potential victims and telling them they have won a very valuable prize. The subject asks for money to be wired to them in order to claim the prize. This is yet another scam that has been in circulation several times. The Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, along with many others, are free to enter and there is never a fee associated with claiming a prize.

Scam #4: A subject, claiming to be a representative of law enforcement, is calling local residents and telling them they have missed jury duty. The caller claims there is a warrant for their arrest which needs to be signed off at the Sheriff's Office right away or pay a refundable holding fee. This is a scam that can possibly be an attempt to get you out of your home or to send money. You can always call the Sheriff's Office to confirm if you truly have a warrant for your arrest.

The majority of these scams target our senior citizen community. The callers are very good at what they do and are commonly successful at swindling victims out of their money. It breaks our hearts when we take reports from our community members who have been victimized by these scams.

Please share these recent scams with your friends, family, and neighbors. Not every one has access to Facebook or a computer. Thank you for continuing to do your part in keeping our community safe. Thank you!
Source: Tuolumne County Sheriff Department