Sheriffâs officials warn of âmissed court appearanceâ scam
The crooks carrying out the scheme are claiming to be deputies
The San Diego County Sheriffâs Department warned the public this week to beware of a recent telephone scam carried out by con artists threatening people with criminal sanctions over supposed missed court appearances.
The crooks carrying out the scheme claim to be deputies and demand that would-be victims go to Sheriffâs Department headquarters in Kearny Mesa -- alone, at any time of the day or night -- to resolve the purported legal problem, the agency advised.
The perpetrators threaten that âthe issue will escalate into a criminal matterâ if the recipients of the call fail to comply and warn them ânot to tell anyoneâ about the matter, according to a statement from the department.
In an attempt to intimidate the targets of the scam, the imposters threaten them with lawsuits, jail time or arrest if they fail to take immediate action, including paying fees or fines. The crooks also sometimes use a caller-ID âspoofingâ device to make it appear as though the call is coming from a sheriffâs station, jail or court office.
Unresolved legal issues cannot be resolved over the phone or at a police station, only through the courts.
Moreover, deputies never call members of the public demanding money or threatening jail time over any matter, and the departmentâs headquarters is closed at night and on weekends, sheriffâs officials noted.
People with outstanding warrants are urged to turn themselves in Monday through Friday during business hours at a county court facility.
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