The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of a prior scam that has resurfaced.
In the scam phone call, the callers identify themselves as a deputy with the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.
The callers then claim the victim is supposed to report to federal court for a grand jury hearing. The callers explain the victim has a “failure to appear and contempt of court citation” and say the “victim” needs to pay a fine over the phone. A threat is then made that if payment is not received, a sheriff’s deputy will respond to make an arrest.
The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office said it does not take payments over the phone for any services. The agency does not act on behalf of any federal court. Any correspondence of this nature will come in the form of formal documentation from the U.S. federal court system and should be followed up on by contacting the court directly.
Phone numbers can be found online. Deputies advise to not return a call to a number provided over the phone.
If you are ever in doubt, call the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office at (831) 636-4080 or dispatch at (831) 471-1108.
This City does things backwards. Need to improve Hwy 25 and 156. Where’s is all the business that the City Supervisors promised on their campaigns? The Westside on both sides of 4th St. I believe are designated commercial. Instead they are building apts. and homes which are mainly for out of towners that apply through Chispa out of Salinas.