Scammers use law enforcement phone number

    The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received information of a new phone scam that uses a phone number from the sheriff’s office as the number on the caller ID.
    Gary Smejkal, investigator with the sheriff’s office, said a Ganado resident contacted him after receiving a suspicious call earlier Thursday.
    He said the resident said the call was on their cell phone and used the sheriff’s office’s Edna phone number on the caller ID. He said the caller claimed to be a Mr. Black from the United States Federal Government Bureau of Criminal Investigation out of Philadelphia. The caller said the resident had defaulted on a cash advance loan and needed to make a payment of more than $400. The individual said they had never taken out such a loan, but asked where to send a check. The caller said they did not accept checks so the resident asked for a phone number to call them back. The resident then got frustrated and hung up.
    That was when they called the sheriff’s office about the call. Smejkal said he called the number, a person with a Middle Eastern accent answered, just like the resident had described in their complaint. Smejkal said he pretended to be the son of the resident and tried to get information from the caller. After giving more information concerning the previous call to the resident, the caller told Smejkal he checked his records and the resident didn’t owe any money. Smejkal said it appeared the caller suspected they were discovered.
    Smejkal said the public should be reassured that the sheriff’s office does not conduct business in that fashion and they do not work with any person or business to collect money. He said it was the first time he learned of a scammer using a number that would come back to a law enforcement phone.
    Anyone who receives a questionable phone call with an unfamiliar person asking for money should not give financial information over the phone or wire money to any account. Always call the local police department or sheriff’s office to confirm the validity of the call.