New Scam Hitting Mother Lode Involves Shocking Twist
Sonora, CA – Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) is warning of a scam where the caller is so bold, he even tried to pass himself off as Tuolumne County’s sheriff.
Unfortunately, even a pandemic is not enough to stop con artists from preying on the public. Instead, it is during times unrest and stress that they spring into action, according to sheriff’s officials.
On Tuesday, the TCSO was alerted to a scam involving Sheriff Bill Pooley. A woman got a call that her caller ID showed was coming from the sheriff’s office. The caller told her he was the sheriff and had an “urgent legal matter” to discuss with her. However, she got the last laugh as she is a friend of Sheriff Pooley and knew it was not his voice. When the woman called out the swindler, he became confrontational and swore at her before hanging up.
Sheriff’s official warns caller ID’s are not always reliable as scammers have the capabilities to change the caller ID to show whatever number they want. They add surprisingly some people have received scam calls showing their own number on caller ID. Their advice, if it looks like a local law enforcement agency is calling, look up the non-emergency phone number (Not 9-1-1) and call to verify the story.