SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) is warning people of scammers trying to, "lie, intimidate, trick, and threaten people" into giving their money or personal information. This will leave people vulnerable to identity theft.
SCSO says that they have been receiving calls and reports of scammers identifying themselves as Lieutenant Perry or Lieutenant James Perry with the Spokane County Civil Unit/Service. According to SCSO, there is no one by this name working at the office.
There have been other reports of scam calls involving local, state and federal agencies, which are also scams, according to SCSO.
Public Information Officer Mark Gregory said in a statement, "Law Enforcement, Courts, or any other government agency will never call and demand payment using prepaid credit cards or other payment options while threatening arrest. However, scammers will, so don’t be duped."
If you are unsure if you are being scammed, SCSO recommends that people look up the phone number and call the agency directly using that phone number, not the one the scammer provided or used. If anyone is demanding payment or personal information, it is a scam and you should hang up.
If you have receive calls from scammers, you can report the information to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by clicking here or Crime Check at 509-456-2233. The FTC website also has information, tips and different scam alerts.
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