LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Monday it has received a report of another fraud scheme which targets Lake County residents.
Lt. Steve Brooks said several citizens reported receiving telephone calls on Monday from an individual who identified himself as “Lt. Brad Davis” of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
He tells the individual who answers the phone that they have missed their scheduled summons for jury duty and because of that they now have a warrant for their arrest, according to Brooks.
The subject goes on to tell the person that the only way to avoid being arrested is to either obtain a money order or prepaid card in the amount of $500 to make the warrant go away, Brooks said.
Brooks said the scammer was able to provide some personal information to the individual answering the telephone, such as their home address and if they are disabled, further clarifying him as law enforcement and establishing himself as legitimate.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not employ anyone by the name of Brad Davis, nor would the agency have a member of the office solicit citizens for money because they failed to show up for jury duty, Brooks said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not contact people to advise them that they had missed a summons for jury duty, Brooks added.
A deputy investigating the case attempted to contact “Lt. Brad Davis” using the telephone number provided by the victims. Brooks said the number went straight to voice mail, saying that he had reached the warrant division and if this was an emergency to dial 911.
Brooks said the deputy further researched the telephone number and discovered it is an Internet number that is generated by a company that provides online phones. It is reported that they can use the number for as long as they need, then they can get rid of it at anytime and obtain a new number.
There isn’t nearly as much advice on preventing fraud and scams as there are ways to be defrauded, Brooks said.
However, aside from protecting one’s personal information, Brooks said members of the public are encouraged to always carefully scrutinize unsolicited request of any kind before acting on them.
Additionally, Brooks said phone calls from law enforcement personnel or anyone else asking for money or personal information should always be verified before sending anything.