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Released by: Sgt. William Bailey
Public Information Officer
Release Date: February 11, 2018
NARRATIVE:
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office would like to again warn the citizens of Central Oregon of the ongoing warrant scam hitting our area. We have received several calls over weekend from community members who have been contacted by a subject who identifies himself as "Detective Garcia with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office" and asks for money to clear up a warrant issued after missing jury duty. We have also received other information two other names of actual current deputies are being used. Familiar names like "Lt. Husband" and "Sgt. Bailey" are also being used by scammers to convince our community members these phone calls are legitimate.
Law enforcement will never contact a citizen and ask for money to clear up a warrant or any other legal matter. If a citizen has a warrant, a member of a law enforcement agency will likely contact you in person and have the proper credentials to identify themselves. Citizens should always be skeptical of any situation where an unfamiliar person is asking for money over the telephone.
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office would like to ask community members to share this scam information with others. Unfortunately, we have had community members fall victim to this scam in the past and we would like to prevent anyone else from falling victim in the future. Consider talking with a neighbor, calling a friend or family member and/or sharing this information on social media. The best way to prevent someone falling victim to this scam is through education.
We would also ask if you have recently received a similar scam phone call and haven't already shared that information with us, please call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and ask to speak to a deputy.