YCSO warns of new phone scam

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office is warning registered sex offenders who live in the area about a new telephone scam that seems to be targeting them for fraud.

Spokesperson Alfonso Zavala explained that the sheriff’s office has received numerous reports from offenders who say they have received phone calls from someone claiming to be from law enforcement.

Zavala said that in the call the phone scammer identifies himself as “Chief Deputy Warren Randall” with the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, and tells the offender that they are out of compliance of their sex offender registration, and a warrant will be issued immediately if they don’t comply.

The phone scammer then offers to resolve the problem if the offender who was called sends money.

Anyone getting a call, Zavala said, should not make any transaction without verifying that the call is valid. The phone number that is being used to make this call is 928-248-3106.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that:

• It does not make any calls for collection of monies, i.e., fines, fees, bonds, etc.

• It does not request credit card information over the phone.

• It does not provide any warrant information to the public over the phone.

• When in doubt, ask the caller for a contact name and phone number for verification purposes and contact YCSO immediately at 928-783-4427.

YCSO would also like to remind the community of other ongoing phone scams that are occurring here locally:

• Grandparent scam: You get a phone call from someone posing as a grandchild who is supposedly out of town and in a desperate situation. They could claim to be locked in jail, have had a car accident or are in need of medical treatment. They’ll want money wired to them.

• Jury duty scam: This time the call is supposedly from someone at the courthouse who claims you failed to report for jury duty and a warrant has been issued for your arrest. You’re then offered a choice to either pay for the warrant or have an officer sent over to arrest you. The fraudsters will typically demand that the money be paid by money transfer or by loading a prepaid card. They have been known to use actual names of local officers and judges in the scam to make it seem legitimate. Scammers have gone as far as using devices that allow them to display local law enforcement phone numbers on your caller ID’s.

• Lottery scam: While the other scams prey on fear and concern, this one aims to convince you that you’ve won money in a foreign lottery. Never mind that you can’t recall ever entering one. The call will come from someone who sounds official. They’ll ask for a payment up-front for supposed taxes and fees so you can collect your winnings.

• IRS scam: This scam is quite similar to the jury duty scam, but takes advantage of most Americans’ inherent fear of the Internal Revenue Service. The phone call purports to be from the police or an IRS agent who is demanding payment for overdue taxes. If they’re not settled immediately, the call claims, you’ll be arrested. They’ll want the money either wired or put on prepaid card.

• Utility scam: This is another fear-based scam that involves convincing you that the utility company is about to cut off service due to unpaid bills. The scammers will naturally want money sent to them by money transfer or a prepaid card.

If you believe you have been a victim, please contact your local law enforcement agency.