Officials: Beware of phone scammers impersonating law enforcement

Multiple scams have been reported in the Wichita area recently in which the scammer impersonates a law enforcement officer.

The scams have been reported in Sedgwick and Reno counties. If you have been a victim of any of these scams, contact law enforcement.

▪ Sedgwick County jury duty: People are receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. The caller, who may use the name of a real employee, tells the victims they missed jury duty and now have a warrant out for their arrest. The caller says the warrant can be called off by paying a fee with a prepaid debit card over the phone. After the victim pays, the caller tells him or her to mail the card to an office in the courthouse.

▪ Texting and driving ticket: A Sedgwick County resident reported receiving a text message from a New York City area code claiming to be a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy. The “deputy” says the victim was “observed texting and driving,” and to “please report to the Sedgwick County Court House 4th floor by 5 p.m. on Monday to collect your ticket.” “Obviously, the Sheriff’s Office does not text people telling them to come pick up their ticket, but we are not certain about the motivation behind this text,” said sheriff’s Lt. Lin Dehning. “It’s possible that the sender expects the recipient to call the number that the text came from and a scam for payment is initiated.”

▪ Reno County “deposition warrant”: Reno County residents are receiving calls and messages instructing them to call an 877 number to pay money and prevent a “deposition warrant” from being issued by the Reno County Criminal Court Division. The caller says he is associated with the Reno County District Attorney’s Office. “High-pressure tactics” are then used to get the victim to pay, as the caller not only knows the victim’s last name but also the last four digits of his or her Social Security number. The caller ID shows the call is coming from the “Reno County Court Service’s Office,” according to a news release from the Reno County District Attorney’s Office.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Officials: Beware of phone scammers impersonating law enforcement."