NORTHAMPTON — Residents of Hampshire County are being targeted by an ongoing phone scam involving individuals posing as employees of the Hampshire Sheriff’s Office, officials warned Tuesday.
Callers are contacting residents without their number showing on caller ID and instructing them to call back at 413-588-9833.
Upon returning the call, victims are falsely informed that they have missed a court appearance and are required to surrender for booking and fingerprinting.
The scammers are also claiming to have a judge on the line in attempts to extort money.
The Hampshire Sheriff’s Office has issued a statement to the community emphasizing that they would never make such calls under any circumstances.
They urge residents to hang up immediately if they receive such a call and not to follow any instructions to return the call.
Victims of this phone scam are encouraged to report the incident to their local police department, file an online report with the FBI at www.fbi.gov, or contact the sheriff’s office directly at 413-584-5911 to notify them of the fraudulent activity.
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in spreading the word to prevent further victimization of community members by these phone scammers.
