The Bucks County Sheriff's officer is warning the public about an ongoing phone scam that involves people pretending to be members of the staff and asking for money.
According to officials, these scam callers are telling people that they must pay fines or they will have to face jail time.
The calls have been appearing on caller IDs as 215-348-6236 – the actual Bucks County Sheriff’s Office telephone number, officials said.
This type of scam is known as "caller ID spoofing" and it's typically hard to tell if the person calling is authentic.
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Officials said that recently an individual was told he failed to respond for jury duty and a bench warrant would be issued for his arrest if he did not immediately pay a $25,000 fine. Additionally, the scammer identified themselves using the name of a real deputy, making the potential victim believe the call.
If you receive a call from someone saying that they are with the Bucks County Sheriff's Office and they request financial information or demand money - it is a scam, officials warn.
Additionally, if you receive a call from people claiming they are officers and they ask you for money or gift cards, do not pay them and notify law enforcement.
All scams and fraudulent phone calls can be reported to FTC.gov and FCC.gov.
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