The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has reported several calls from concerned citizens who reported apparent phone scams from a caller or callers who claim to be from the Sheriff’s Office or other local law enforcement agencies. The scammer(s) accuse a victim of failing to appear for jury duty, having a local or federal warrant or a civil matter, or owing fines. The Sheriff’s Office advises that the caller uses official titles and/or names, likely taken from a law enforcement website or social media, and tells victims they must pay a fine or warrant or an arrest warrant will be issued.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that no law enforcement agency will solicit funds or collect fines by phone, and that jury summonses are sent through the mail. Anyone who receives such a call should contact the Sheriff’s Office, 928-774-4523, or their local law enforcement agency.

To lessen the risk of being scammed, the CCSO advises the public to be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, texts or emails; be cautious of mimicked phone numbers and e-mail addresses; do not use a phone number provided by the caller to verify their credibility; never give money or personal information to anyone they do not know and did not initiate contact with; and hang up if the caller makes them uncomfortable or says things that do not sound right. The Sheriff’s Office added that, if the caller ID information appears the same as that of a law enforcement or government agency, hang up and call that agency directly.