Washoe County Sheriff's Office warns of more telephone scams

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office received a number of reports this week from persons who say they received phone calls from someone claiming to be from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and stating that the potential victim has “law enforcement issues” which need to be taken care of financially.

Unfortunately, phone scams in which the perpetrators pretend to be from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and use the names of real Sheriff’s Office personnel, are not new. Typically with these types of scams, the scammer provides instruction on how the payment should be submitted, usually through an “eGift” cash card, pre-paid credit card, or similar payment to a specified account or name given by the caller.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office does not ask for payment over the phone or negotiate for payment in lieu of arrest. Anyone with questions about a law enforcement issue is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office or the appropriate local law enforcement agency before providing any information or making payments.

Anyone who has suffered a loss as a result of this type of scam is encouraged to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 328-3001 (option 7).