Scam Alert
November 29, 2023 - Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office officials announce several different scams to be aware of this holiday season.
We want to warn our community to be alert for scam attempts this holiday season. We have recently been made aware of various phone/mail scams affecting Tuolumne County residents. The following are examples of recent scam attempts:
- Scammers calling, identifying themselves as a member of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office and requesting money for donations to be sent by mail, as a money order, electronic fund transfer or crypto currency.
- Scammers calling, identifying themselves as a member of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, telling the resident they have a warrant for their arrest and requesting money in order to avoid arrest. Often the scammer will request payment as a crypto currency or other unusual form of payment.
- Scammers sending mail on behalf of the sheriff’s office requesting money for donations to be sent by mail, as a money order, electronic fund transfer or other unusual form of payment.
We want to remind everyone the sheriff’s office:
- Will never ask you to pay money in order to avoid arrest/warrant.
- The sheriff’s office is not soliciting donations by mail.
- If you are ever in doubt about information, by mail or phone call, from someone claiming to be with Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office you can call our non-emergency line 209-533-5815 to confirm.
One of the best ways to keep yourself safe from scammers:
When a company or government agency unexpectedly calls, hang up and contact the business or agency directly to find out if the call/solicitation was legitimate.
Additional red flags to look out for:
- When asked to pay by any unusual payment systems such as crypto, electronic fund transfer, gift card, green dot card, money order or peer-to-peer payment systems (PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, etc.) it may be a scam.
- When asked to pay “upfront,” for personally sold items/services, contest winnings or a prize, it may be a scam.
- Scammers attempt to rush and push their victims into making a decision without time to verify and thoughtfully consider the information. If someone is rushing/pushing you to make a decision, it may be a scam.
Source: Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office
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