Graham County – On August 29, 2018 a citizen of Graham County reportedly received a call from someone identifying themselves as a member of the Graham County Sheriff’s Office. The caller referred to himself as a “Sheriff Marshal.” The caller told the citizen that he had missed jury duty and an arrest warrant had been issued. The citizen immediately recognized the call as a scam and asked to speak to the Sheriff or Undersheriff. Another man got on the phone and could not give the name of the Sheriff or Undersheriff.
The citizen told the caller he knew it was a scam. He said that he knew members of the Sheriff’s office personally and was going to report it to law enforcement. Caller ID showed a 928 area code but the number was from the Winslow area.
A similar scam have been going on nationwide. The U.S. Marshals office recently alerted the public of scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. Marshals. Phoenix area residents have reported getting calls from the phone number 602-888-2556, in which the caller typically identified himself as U.S. Marshal David Gonzales.
During these calls scammer try to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty or reference some other “serious legal matter.” They tell victims they can avoid arrest by purchasing a prepaid debit card or gift card and providing that card number over the phone to satisfy the fine.
Do not give out any personal information or account numbers over the phone. Do not send money if you receive this typed of call.
