Worcester News

Sheriff’s Office warns of scam calls using Sheriff’s number

  • Posted by Worcester News December 9, 2022 - Filed in News - #Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis  - 1,267 views

     

    West Boylston - Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is warning residents about a recent phone scam in which the caller claims that they’re a Sheriff’s Office employee and tells victims that they have an arrest warrant in their name or the name of a loved one. To avoid going to jail, the caller tells the individual that they need to pay a fine. Other popular phone scams involve claims of missed jury duty that also results in fines.

    The Sheriff’s Office has now received numerous reports of phone scams. In some cases, the scammer identifies himself as an Officer of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and then asks for money to clear up a warrant. In some instances, the caller requests that payments be made in the form of gift certificates. The caller will then have the victim remain on the line the entire time until the victim purchases the gift certificates and relays specific financial information from the gift certificate to the caller.

    The Worcester County Sheriff's Office encourages people to be aware of calls like this and to never give personal or financial information over the phone to anyone whom you didn’t call yourself.

    "Our department does not contact residents and demand payment or ask for credit card information. Today's scam artists are always testing new tactics. Residents need to beware of any unsolicited calls that ask for their personal or financial information,” commented Sheriff Evangelidis. "These callers can sound convincing, may be aggressive, and try to intimidate you with threats of jail time or steep fines. We encourage anyone who gets a suspicious call to hang up and contact their associated institutions directly to verify any requests.”

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