Cole County Sheriff warns of scammers impersonating Sheriff’s Office
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler in a Thursday press release warned the public of scammers trying to impersonate his office.
Wheeler said in the release that scammers are trying to call residents to tell them they have warrants for arrest in order to get them to pay the scammer over the phone with gift cards.
“If someone claiming to be from the Cole County Sheriff’s Office, or any law enforcement agency, notifies you that you have a warrant for your arrest; it is a SCAM. First off, law enforcement would never ask anyone to get pre-paid credit cards/gift cards or to pay for a warrant or fine over the phone. Secondly, we usually show at your house or ask you to come in. Look up the phone number of whatever the agency is, and call them directly,” the release states.
“Typically, the scammers (who are typically outside of US jurisdiction) will ask you to make a payment via a pre-paid debit, credit card or gift cards such as Google Play, eBay, or by sending checks or money orders. The individuals that are conducting the scams/frauds are very intelligent and perform research. Some of the callers sound legitimate and use actual names of personnel from our department. Do not be fooled.”
This isn’t the first time area law enforcement and residents have had to deal with this issue. Last year, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office warned residents about scammers impersonating deputies. The Columbia Police Department said in April 2023 that scammers were spoofing the department’s phone number and were falsely claiming to be police.
