Linn County Sheriff Jim Yon would like to advise our citizens of a scam technique that is currently on a rise in Linn County.
Citizens have been receiving telephone calls from a male who identifies himself as Captain Guilford. The male tells you of an outstanding warrant and because you did not show up for court, you now have a federal subpoena. The caller then asks you to get a pre-paid money card and pay your fine over the telephone. The phone number is often a fake, as we find that these phone numbers are forwarded through fake phone apps.
Our office has received two calls today regarding this scam. This is extremely alarming to our office, as we do have a Captain Guilford employed at the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. Often names are pulled from public websites and used in these types of scams. In 2015, another captain from our office was used in these types of scams.
We would like to remind our citizens that law enforcement will never ask for money over the phone or electronically. These are well known scams, please do not give out any personal information to someone you do not know. This includes your account numbers, Social Security number, names, addresses and date of birth.
If you fall victim to one of these scams and have been defrauded money or personal information, please call your local law enforcement agency and report it immediately. If you suspect a scam and have not been defrauded, we recommend reporting this activity directly to the United States Department of Justice at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/contact/report-fraud.html