Polk County Residents Alerted To Phone Scams

When the phone rings and a law enforcement official tells you there is a warrant for your arrest, there is one thing to remember, Polk County sheriff’s officials say: It’s a scam. The tactic has been used before and officials on Tuesday issued a warning that it’s making the rounds again.

The scammers are using the names of current Polk County Sheriff’s Office employees and telling people they contact that they need to pay a sum of money to avoid being arrested, according to a press release issued by the sheriff's department.

“This is not the procedure for taking care of warrants,” the press release said. “As a general rule, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office does not discuss or take care of valid warrants over the telephone.”

(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Des Moines Patch, and click here to find your local Iowa Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

It’s likely the scammers are trying to obtain banking information to gain access to the money in your account. Officials said if you do receive a call that claims to be coming from the sheriff’s office, you should not follow any instructions given by the caller. Instead, contact Polk County Dispatch at 515-286-3333 or call your local law enforcement agency to report the details of the call.

“Be diligent and aware that there are individuals that will represent themselves under false pretenses for personal gain,” officials said.

Image via Pixabay