The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office is issuing a renewed warning about a telephone scam that has, once again, surfaced in Sweetwater County.
Sheriff Mike Lowell said in a press release that fraudsters are calling and identifying themselves as a Sweetwater County deputy sheriff, often using a name, rank, and badge number that may sound convincing, but are bogus. Lately, the con men callers have also been referring directly to Circuit Court in Rock Springs and mentioning the name of Judge Craig Jones.
The caller tells his intended victims that a warrant or warrants for missed jury duty have been issued for their arrest. He demands that the person pay up, nearly always with a prepaid debit card, or be arrested within hours.
Officials emphasized that the calls are a con, one that has cost innocent victims many thousands of dollars all over the country. One woman in Rock Springs recently reported being swindled out of $2,500.
Lowell said his office and the Combined Communications Center in Green River has received numerous notifications from people receiving these calls.
“Our courts simply do not work this way,” said Sheriff’s Office Detective Dick Blust. “No court will ever call to demand payment for missing jury duty, especially through use of a prepaid debit card.”
For more information on this and many other fraud schemes, law enforcement officials recommend the FBI website at http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud.