Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department  (LASD) officials warn the public of scammers impersonating L.A. County Deputies using spoofing apps that show their number on the victim’s caller ID as the Sheriff’s office or other local police agencies.

Los Angeles County continues to receive reports from residents receiving phone calls from scammers claiming to be a Sheriff’s office Sergeant, Lieutenant or other personnel asking for payment for missing grand jury duty subpoena.

The scammers will then ask for some type of electronic payment and threaten the callers with their arrest if their payment is not received.

Remember, if there is a real warrant for your arrest, you will not receive a phone call from the Sheriff’s Office.

Stay informed by following the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters social media pages and your designated patrol station to help keep you up to date on crime trends and safety tips.

Tips on how to avoid falling victim to scam callers:

• If you receive what seems to be a suspicious call, text, or email, verify the identity of the contact through an independent source such as an agency online website, online search engine or phone book directory.

Do not use the contact info provided by the caller on the message the scammers sent.

•  Do not feel pressured by the threatening caller until you have verified their identity and story.  You can ask the caller for their name, employee identification number, callback number, and a reference number for the matter they are calling about. This information can be used to contact the organization directly to determine the validity of the request.
• It’s okay to hang up, especially if you suspect the call to be a scam.
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or any government agency would never ask for any type of payment over the phone or banking information.
•  All financial transactions are typically handled in person at the courthouses and custody facilities.
• Never send money or give bank account details, or other personal information to anyone you don’t know or trust.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urges the public to remain safe and reach out to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station if you feel you have been a victim of these crimes.

Ed. Note: The above information was provided to KHTS by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

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