A woman presses the red button on her smartphone to end a phone call. (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Ventura County deputies are warning residents about a new scam involving a phone call from a fake deputy that has scammed several people out of thousands of dollars.
The scam involves getting a phone call from a fictitious “Sergeant Locker” with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, officials said. This person even gives people a fake badge number. “Sergeant Locker” tells victims that they missed a grand jury summons, and they now owe $1,500 in court fees because of it.
From there, the scammer convinces victims that they need to buy Bitcoin, using Bitcoin ATMs, and transfer the $1,500 to a cryptocurrency wallet, deputies said. Once they receive the money, the scammer empties the crypto wallet and disconnects the phone number they used to call their victims with.
SUGGESTED: Beware of this phishing scam, police warn
Because of “the nature of cryptocurrency transactions,” the Sheriff’s Office said, victims aren’t able to get their money back once that happens. Deputies said the phone numbers are fake internet numbers that are canceled once the scam is finished.
Deputies say there are tips residents can use to help spot scams like this one.
The first is to be wary of anyone on the phone claiming to be from their office, especially a “Sergeant Locker.” Secondly, the department says, deputies will never ask anyone to pay a fine over the phone, and they would never request those fines be paid with cryptocurrency or gift cards.
Another giveaway, officials say, is if someone asks you to give sensitive information over the phone or through email. “Most contact between a county court and the public will be through the U.S. mail,” the VCSO said.
If you do get a suspicious phone call, especially from a “Sergeant Locker,” you should hang up, block the number if possible and contact the local police station using their official phone number, not a number the suspected spammer gives you.
Anyone who thinks they might have fallen victim to a scam like this should contact the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office at 805-654-9511.
