The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is issuing a caution to the public about a clever phone scam that's impersonating deputies and sergeants, and it has already cost one person $1,000. In a scheme that has scammers using the real names of MCSO employees, they are manipulating caller IDs to give the appearance that the call is coming from within the Sheriff's Office, complete with fake badges and case numbers. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, these fraudsters claim their targets have a warrant, unpaid court fines, or have missed jury duty. They insist on immediate payment via gift card, cash app, or cryptocurrency to avoid arrest.
The methods of the scammers are diverse; they not only provide a call-back number with a falsified phone tree but also demand the victim stay on the phone until the transaction occurs, effectively isolating them from reaching out to family or friends for advice. Personal information, such as a home address, may also be known to the scammers, adding a layer of deceit to the scam. In a peculiar twist, after the payment is made, the victim is often told they can come to an MCSO office for reimbursement, a step designed to further convince them of the legitimacy of the scam.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has been adamant in their reminders to the public that they "NEVER conduct matters concerning warrant service, missed jury duty, missed court dates or payment of fines over the phone." If you receive a call from someone claiming to represent the Sheriff’s Office and they are requesting payment, the MCSO implores you, to DO NOT SEND MONEY or interact with these individuals. These scammers are artful impersonators but they do not represent the real law enforcement agency.
