Phone Scam Alert
June 22, 2023 - Madera County Sheriff's Office officials report that the Madera County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware that an individual has been making phone calls to citizens throughout the county impersonating a Sheriff’s Office employee regarding paying for outstanding warrants. THIS IS A SCAM.
The Sheriff’s Office will never request funds or personal identifying information over the phone. If you receive a phone call of this nature, please contact Madera County Sheriff’s Dispatch at (559) 675-7770.
Based on the information we have been provided, the person is making calls from a phone number similar to our non-emergency line (559) 675-7770. They identify themselves as Madera County Sheriff’s Office and inform the caller of outstanding warrants which need to be paid over the phone or in person at the Sheriff’s Office.
Again- THIS IS A SCAM. If you are contacted by this person, do not provide ANY information to him, and please immediately contact our office directly at (559) 675-7770.
As a reminder, other common phone scams include:
- Informing callers, they are eligible to receive a financial grant/payment, but must pay a fee over the phone (via iTunes, Green Dot card, bank account routing number, etc.) in order to claim the funds
- Informing callers an arrest warrant has been or will be issued, and requesting personal identifying information to verify a match to the arrest warrant
- Requesting fees be paid over the phone to avoid an arrest as the result of a warrant
- Requesting fees be paid over the phone to satisfy delinquent taxes
We would like to remind citizens to please remember:
- Exercise caution when accepting or returning phone calls from private numbers or numbers you do not recognize
- Legitimate government organizations will never request that you provide financial information to them over the phone. If a caller demands any type of personal financial information for payment over the phone, hang up immediately
- You should never agree to share personal identifying information, such as your Social Security Number, or financial information, including your bank account number, over the phone to anyone who contacts you
If you receive a call that contains any of the characteristics above, or one that raises suspicion, we encourage you to hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately. It is important for citizens to be alert and remain vigilant when protecting their personal information. If you have questions or would like to make a report, please contact the Madera County Sheriff's Office at (559) 675-7770.
Source: Madera County Sheriff's Office
