Sheriff warns against new scammer calls

The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office is issuing a warning about recent fraudulent phone calls victimizing St. Joseph residents.

The sheriff’s office has received several reports of scammers identifying themselves as deputies and telling citizens they have missed court or have a warrant for their arrest. They then ask for money and gift cards to resolve the issue.

The scammers will use scare tactics like threats of arrest to create a sense of urgency, but the sheriff’s office wants to assure residents these are false claims and should be ignored.

“Don’t engage them. Hang up. We will never, ever call and demand money instead of you being arrested,” Sheriff Bill Puett said. “We may call and tell you that you have an arrest warrant or, you know, you need to make arrangements for that, but I need to make this absolutely clear: the sheriff’s office never threatens anybody with arrest, especially for you to give us gift cards from Walmart or Hy-Vee.”

The scammers also ask for money under the pretense that a family member or loved one has been arrested and needs immediate bail. Citizens should never trust these claims unless they can verify them directly with the sheriff’s office.

“They use a very deep scare tactic of taking someone’s freedom with arrest for not paying,” Puett said. “We have individuals who are very intelligent, law-abiding citizens who fall victim to this. So that’s why we always reach out and we continue to preach this message of how not to be a victim.”

These scam calls have cost citizens thousands of dollars that are almost impossible to recover. With new technology, including artificial intelligence, scam calls will continue to become more convoluted and difficult to track.

“They’re very good at their craft because they practice and they come back with all kinds of threats and intimidation and statements and they sound very authoritative, very in charge,” Puett said. “And that’s how they intimidate people to get them ... to comply with this. So, again, if in doubt, verify, call us and make sure that you’re talking to someone legitimate.”

Those who receive a similar call and are uncertain of the validity should contact the sheriff’s office directly. Puett stressed that citizens should never pay any amount of money over the phone, through gift cards or cash exchange machines.

“These scammers are just terrible people. They victimize our citizens, on a regular basis,” Puett said. “Please do not become a victim. Do not help them victimize our citizens.”

Citizens should report these calls and verify their validity by reaching out directly to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office at 816-236-8812.