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NEWPORT - The Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and other sheriff’s offices in Washington state have confirmed that residents have been contacted by a caller posing as someone from the sheriff’s office. According to a press release from the POC Sheriff’s Office, the caller has claimed the person they have reached is being held in contempt of court or that there are warrants out for their arrest. These are all scams the press release reads. The Sheriff’s Office does not solicit for funds over the phone under any circumstances. Criminals are now able to use false or “spoofed” numbers to make it appear that the call is coming from a sheriff’s office phone number, or from the courts. The criminals will use names of officers currently employed by the Sheriff’s Office, or they will give you a false name.
“If someone contacts you and tells you there’s a warrant out for your arrest discontinue the call and contact the sheriff’s office if you have any questions about the legitimacy of such a call,” the press release says. “Government offices rarely call citizens to conduct business over the phone and will never demand or solicit any funds over the phone.” These criminals are very professional sounding and may already have some personal details that trick people into believing them because they have information about that person. Information such as a personal address and telephone number can be commonly found in general applications, resumes or other paperwork that criminals have gained access to. They will tell people to pay hundreds of dollars to avoid being arrested. They will use high pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency and get the person panicked by the way they talk to them. The Sheriff’s Office also does not use any sort of electronic transfer of funds when dealing with warrants or fines, including the use of Venmo, Zelle and other phone apps, nor would they ask for payments in gift cards or crypto currency. The Sheriff’s Office or the Courts will never call people for money on a warrant or tell people in advance they are coming to arrest them.
Those who receive calls from the listed number or ones similar should report it to the POC Sheriff’s Office at 509-447-3151.
If encountering a suspected phone scam or an abusive telemarketer, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, www. reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-382-4357, and notify the state consumer protection office.
Report caller-ID spoofing to the Federal Communications Commission, www. consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us or at 888-225-5322. The FCC also provides consumer guides to numerous phone scams and improper practices.
Visit the Do Not Call Registry at www. donotcall.gov or call 888-382-1222 to register your number or report illegal robocalls.
