Sheriff’s department warns of new phone scam

The St. Joseph County sheriff’s department is urging the community to continue to be on the lookout for a new phone scam.

Sherriff Chad Spence’s office announced Thursday evening the new scam is focused on being a financial one toward the elderly. The individuals are falsely claiming to represent law enforcement, the courts or correctional facilities.

Scammers often contact victims and claim there is an outstanding warrant for their arrest, they missed a court date or a family member has been arrested and needs money.

The scammers frequently instruct victims to send money through cryptocurrency, gift cards, money orders, wire transfers, payment apps or cash deposits. The sheriff’s office is urging the community to be vigilant in avoiding these scams.

If you receive one of these phone calls, which often come from a spoof phone number appearing to be from law enforcement, hang up immediately. DO NOT provide personal or financial information over the phone. If you are unsure if a phone call is legitimate, contact the agency directly using a phone number obtained from its official website, not the one provided by the caller.