Douglas County Sheriff's Office warns of continued phone scams

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev.- The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public, especially our senior population to be aware of a recent telephone scam being reported to the Sheriff’s Office. This advisement was issued in July of this year, however the Sheriff’s office is receiving reports the calls continue. Unidentified callers are telling the person answering the phone they have a warrant issued from the Sheriff’s Office or another Federal Law Enforcement Agency. The scammer is seeking large sums of money, generally $2000 to $5000 be sent via the mail in the form of pre-paid gift cards. The Sheriff’s Office is asking all retailers who sell pre-paid cards to conduct awareness training and help our community protect one another.

Every year the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office receives dozens of reports for these scams. Once the pre-paid card is purchased and mailed out, the Sheriff’s Office has very little ability to assist in recovering the loss, especially if the money ends up out of the country. The public needs to be aware, no government agency will call you and demand money via pre-paid gift cards or pre-paid credit cards. Law enforcement will never demand money over the phone and all “warrants” are handled in person via the normal judicial process. Please visit for additional information on how to protect yourself and your family from falling victim to the ever growing arena of digital crime.