WEST BOYLSTON — Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is alerting the public to a surge in fraudulent phone calls, where scammers impersonate Sheriff’s Office employees to extort money from victims by claiming they have an outstanding arrest warrant or other legal issues.
The Sheriff’s Office has reported a rise in complaints regarding these phone scams.
Scammers, at times identifying themselves as officers of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, demand money to resolve the supposed legal matters.
Additionally, victims are instructed to pay fines through gift certificates and are often kept on the line until the transaction is completed and the financial details of the gift certificates are shared with the caller.
Law enforcement officials urge residents to remain vigilant and not disclose personal or financial information over the phone unless they initiated the call.
Sheriff Evangelidis emphasized that the department does not solicit payments or credit card information via phone calls.
“Our department does not contact residents and demand payment or ask for credit card information. Today’s scam artists are always testing new tactics. Residents need to beware of any unsolicited calls that ask for their personal or financial information,” said Sheriff Evangelidis.
He also highlighted the importance of being cautious with aggressive callers who use the threat of jail time to intimidate their targets and advised individuals to disconnect such calls immediately and verify any suspicious claims directly with the concerned institutions.
