SCAM ALERT: Sheriff’s office issues warning for phone scam circulating in region

DAYTON — The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about a phone scam that’s been circulating in the Miami Valley.

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Callers have reported to the sheriff’s office a person claiming to be “Sergeant Brian Lewis” from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a spokesperson for the office said in a media release Wednesday. The person posing as the deputy claims the recipient of the call has missed a court appearance and is asked to provide a payment to avoid having a warrant issued for their arrest.

Often payment is demanded to be made through PayPal, Apple Pay, or money order.

In addition to the demands, scammers have been known to clone the phone number to make it appear legitimate on the incoming caller ID.

“Often, the phone number may appear to be coming from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, while in fact, the phone number has been spoofed,” the spokesperson said.

The sheriff’s office is reminding residents the department will never call or threaten people with arrest for unpaid fines, warrants, or missed court dates.

“These scammers can be very convincing and while in hindsight it may be easy to blame the victims, please keep in mind that these ruthless scammers are very successful at targeting people from all walks of life and age groups,” Sheriff Rob Streck said in the release.

If you receive one of these calls, you are encouraged to hang up and report it to your local police department, the spokesperson said.

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