By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office warned the public on Thursday, April 23, to be wary of scammers contacting innocent people by phone posing as deputies.
The department said that the scammers have just enough information to pass as a sheriff’s deputy and that the caller ID displays Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff’s office, the scammers are calling people and telling them that they have missed a court date as a witness or even as an expert. The scammers are convincing enough that people are buying pre-paid credit cards and passing along the information through the phone. This is all done “under the pretenses of keeping the victim from being arrested,” the sheriff’s office said.
In an effort to combat the scam, the sheriff’s office released the following tips:
- The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will never call you and ask for money, banking information, credit card information or any other financial information over the phone.
- If you have a warrant, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office may ask you to turn yourself in to officials. Any payment of bond would be done at the jail, NOT over the phone.
- If you receive a call from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and you believe it may be a scam, get the person’s name with whom you are speaking. Hang up and call 205-325-5900 and ask to speak with that person.
- NEVER give ANYONE financial or personal information over the phone. If they are calling you about a loan or any other personal matter, they will already have all of the information they need on file.
- Report any attempted fraud to your local law enforcement agency. Call and file a report. Detectives can’t investigate these crimes if they aren’t aware.