Phone Scammers are Pretending to be from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM) – Once again, there have been several reports of phone scammers claiming to be from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies by using the names of current or former employees.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s public information officer, Samantha Karges, warns, “Don’t believe your caller ID… if you get a caller ID that says it’s from the sheriff’s office, it’s not necessarily from the sheriff’s office. Technology makes it really easy for someone to spoof a caller ID so don’t always believe that.”

These scammers may call to tell you that you have warrants out for your arrest and that you will be arrested immediately unless money is sent to them.

They may also say that they are raising funds for fallen officers and would like for you to make a donation, but the sheriff’s office rarely takes payments directly and will instead ask that you donate to a particular organization.

Last but not least, they could also claim that your loved one is in jail and needs help to make bail.

Scammers often ask for gift cards, cash, or personal information.

To find out more information about scams, you can visit ftc.gov/scams.