New round of phone scams reported in Josephine County

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Police are warning the public about a scam involving someone who claimed to be affiliated with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office.

On May 3, JSCO said they’ve received numerous reports about the scam, which appears to be similar to scams reported last year.

According to the reports, a man who claimed to be a JCSO deputy calls from a seemingly local phone number, 541-507-5669. The man told the people who answered the phone there was a warrant out for their arrest because they missed jury duty. In order to avoid “arrest,” citizens were asked to buy Green DOT Money Pak cards for payment.

If the phone number is called back, a fake message with a female voice plays that appears to be from JCSO. The sheriff’s office said the recording shouldn’t be mistaken for the real phone system, which uses the voice of Sheriff Dave Daniel to present the caller with options. JSCO does not accept any sort of payments over the phone.

“Law enforcement does not operate in this fashion,” a representative with JCSO wrote. “Funds are NOT solicited by law enforcement from citizens to avoid arrest. The sheriff’s office would like to remind citizens to remain vigilant and report any potential scams that come their way. Persons should never provide financial or personal information to anyone until they are certain who they are speaking to.”