The North Judson Police Department made an announcement this weekend reminding citizens to educate themselves on how to recognize scam phone calls.
A common scam call in the area involves individuals who are told that they must make payments to the Sheriff’s Office using accounts or cards such as Chime, Green Dot, PayPal, gift cards, bitcoin, or other electronic payment methods. These calls can sound quite convincing, as sometimes the scammer has obtained real information about an incarcerated individual before targeting family members.
As a reminder, a Sheriff’s Office will not contact an individual via phone to demand payment for any reason, including incarcerated individuals, any warrants, matters involving sex offender registry, or any other law enforcement issue.
Citizens are urged to never provide personal or financial information over the phone, and are reminded that scammers often will identify themselves as law enforcement officers or other officials in order to gain trust. Scammers can access public information such as inmate rosters, public warrant information, and sex offender registry lists in order to give the calls a sense of legitimacy.
To repeat, a sheriff’s office will never request payment through gift cards, prepaid cards, or electronic payment apps.
These calls are often presented with a sense of urgency in an attempt to induce panic and get victims to act quickly and without thinking things through.
If you receive a call that you suspect is a scam, please hang up immediately and reach out to the supposed represented agency through their official phone number to confirm. The call should also be reported to a local law enforcement agency. Starke County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 574-772-3771.
