Scam aims at sex offenders

By NewsPress Now

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam that targets registered sex offenders and their employers.

The callers represent themselves as a law enforcement officer and threaten the sex offender or employer with arrest if they do not purchase gift cards and provide that information to the scammer, Sheriff Bill Puett said.

Currently, the scammer claims to be with the Platte County Sheriff’s Office but callers also have claimed to be from the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.

Puett said these calls are a scam and people should not buy the gift cards. If a registered offender has questions, they should contact Sex Offender Analyst Cindy Ownby at the sheriff’s office, he said.