Boone County Sheriff’s Department warns of phony check scam

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department warned of a scam Thursday.

The department says it was contacted by the Boone County Circuit Clerk after it received more than two dozen calls from non-local residents.

The residents say they got checks in the mail supposedly from the office as payment for online purchases from Ebay and Craigslist.

The sheriff’s department says the checks look official and are written for an amount exceeding the actual cost of the item offered online.

The scammer supposedly instructs the potential victim to cash the phony check and then send the difference via wire transfer or money card back to another location.

So far no Boone County residents have reported receiving these kinds of checks.

If you receive one you are asked to either contact the circuit clerk’s office at (573) 886-4000 or the sheriff’s department at (573) 442-4131.