The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of a prior scam that has resurfaced.
In the scam phone call, the caller identifies themselves as a deputy with the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office. The caller then claims the victim is supposed to report to Federal Court for a Grand Jury hearing. The caller explains the victim has a “failure to appear and contempt of court citation” and says they need 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.
Please note the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office does not take payment over the phone for any services. The agency does not act on behalf of the United States 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. Do not return a call to a number provided over the phone.
If you are ever in doubt, please call the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office at (831) 636-4080 or dispatch at (831) 471-1108.
I could read complaints and warnings filed about these scammers impersonating law enforcement agencies almost everyday online, like at http://whycall.me and another similar sites. People should know about this and keep protecting families and friends from these scammers.