Phone scammer says he’s a Fresno County sheriff’s deputy, but he’s not

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is warning about a recurring scam where a phone caller poses as a sheriff’s deputy.

The scam has resurfaced recently after about a six-month absence, said Tony Botti, Fresno County sheriff’s spokesman. The caller gives out a fictitious name and badge number.

The caller says he works in the “warrants and citation” unit – which doesn’t exist – and makes claims to the potential victim that they are in trouble with the law.

The man orders his target to pay a certain amount in fines to avoid arrest and requests the potential victim meet him at different locations to pay the fine, the sheriff’s office reports. In other calls, the sheriff’s office says the caller seeks gift cards into the hundreds of dollars, and requests that the buyer read the card’s security code over the phone.

The sheriff’s office doesn’t make solicitations or seek payments over the phone, Botti said.

So far, a handful of Fresno-area residents have reported these calls.

The sheriff’s office advice: Do not give in to such a caller’s demands, and document the caller’s phone number or name and report it to law enforcement.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office offers online reporting at www.fresnosheriff.org; click on “report a crime.”

The Better Business Bureau also will research potential scams, said Kayleena Speakman, a BBB spokeswoman based in Fresno.

“If you are curious whether something is a scam, call us and we will take the time to verify it,” she said.

The Better Business Bureau in Fresno can be reached at 1-800-675-8118.

A complaint also can be filed with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting: https://ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#panel1-3.

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Phone scammer says he’s a Fresno County sheriff’s deputy, but he’s not."