MADERA COUNTY – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of several phone and email scams circulating throughout Madera County.
Though specific details may vary, these scams typically contain one or more of the following characteristics:
- Requesting people provide or confirm their Social Security number
- Informing people they are eligible to receive a financial grant/payment, but must pay a fee over the phone (via iTunes, Green Dot card, bank account routing number, etc) in order to claim the funds
- Informing people an arrest warrant has been or will be issued, and requesting personal identifying information to verify a match to the arrest warrant
- Requesting fees be paid over the phone to avoid an arrest as the result of a warrant
- Requesting fees be paid over the phone to satisfy delinquent taxes
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind citizens:
- Exercise caution when accepting or returning phone calls from private numbers or numbers you do not recognize.
- Do not open suspicious emails or respond to emails asking for personal or financial information without insuring it is a legitimate contact.
- Legitimate government organizations will NEVER request that you provide financial information to them over the phone. If a caller demands any type of personal financial information for payment over the phone, hang up immediately.
- You should never agree to share personal identifying information, such as your Social Security number, or financial information, including your bank account number, over the phone to ANYONE who contacts you
“If you receive a call or email that contains any of the characteristics above, or one that raises suspicion, we encourage you to hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency immediately,” warns the Sheriff’s Office. “It is important for citizens to be alert and remain vigilant when protecting their personal information.”
If you have questions or would like to make a report, please contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 675-7770.
