The Nevada County Sheriff's Office is once again reminding the public to be on high alert as reports of telephone scammers impersonating Sheriff's officials continue to surge. According to an announcement on Nevada County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, these unscrupulous callers have been demanding residents to quickly pay fines to resolve warrants or avoid arrest.

In a bid to lend credibility to their ruse, scammers have been known to cleverly manipulate caller ID systems, to make it appear that the calls are originating from actual Sheriff's Office or Jail numbers. Some even brazenly drop the names of current or previous Sheriff's employees. The Nevada County Sheriff's Office, however, maintains its stance: "We have not, do not, will not - call demanding you pay a fine to us to clear a warrant or prevent arrest." Citizens are advised to simply hang up and not to engage should they receive such suspect communications.

While the exact number of targeted individuals remains unclear, the fact that the Sheriff's Office has received multiple calls from concerned citizens suggests these scams are occurring with troubling frequency. The Sheriff's Office reiterates the importance of disseminating this information, particularly to vulnerable populations who might be most at risk to fall prey to these disingenuous tactics.

The community is encouraged to report any incidents of this nature to the authorities. The Sheriff's Office, in its continuous commitment to protect residents, has made clear that its personnel will never resort to calling individuals to demand payment over the phone. In the event someone attempts to convince you to part with your money under the guise of law enforcement, remember it is your absolute right to question, to verify, and invariably, to flatly refuse.