SHELBY COUNTY — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is warning community members that a scam is circulating where incoming phone calls, posing as local law agencies, are demanding money to avoid being arrested for a warrant.
The scammers are identifying themselves as members of local law enforcement by creating a fake caller ID which will appear as a call from a local enforcement agency, a spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release Tuesday.
The sheriff’s office encourages people to not return the call if missed, instead look up the agency’s phone number and contact them directly with questions or concerns.
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The scammers are demanding payment in gift cards and are calling people’s homes and employers, the spokesperson said.
They will send a paper to your home with instructions on how to send the money. But the office warns people to not scan the barcode and do not send money.
Further, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office specifies that no law enforcement agency will call you if you have a warrant.
Warrants are handled through paper documentation which is served in person by an officer out of uniform.
The office additionally reminds people to never meet someone at a strange address, especially if they are demanding payment.
Never share personal information with anyone who contacts you and if you are concerned with a phone call, contact your local law enforcement agency.
The sheriff’s office has listed a few ways to spot scammers:
• Don’t trust caller ID.
• Government agencies won’t call, text or email you to demand immediate payment.
• Law enforcement agencies will not tell you to pay with gift cards, money transfers or cryptocurrency.