Berrien County Sheriff’s Office issue warning about scam calls

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – Deputies with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office are sending out another warning about scam phone calls claiming to be from their office.

The scam caller claims with be with the sheriff’s office and says they have a warrant for your arrest that requires financial payment.

These callers often identify themselves with a randomly chosen position and name, like “Lt. Smith,” and also look up local information on deputies and county employees to sound more believable.

The number often looks like it’s from the 269 area code.

After stating they have a warrant, the caller says you’ll be arrested if you refuse to pay a bond or a stated amount.

The scammer will ask you to purchase some kind of gift card, like a green dot card or a VISA card, and ask you to call them back with the numbers, or they’ll ask you to mail them the card and its receipt for proof of payment.

They may also ask you to bring the card to the sheriff’s office, but the money will be off the cards before you get there.

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said it will never call to ask you to give them money for any threat of arrest.

If you’re unsure about the legitimacy of a call from someone claiming to be law enforcement, the office asks that you hang up the call and contact your local law enforcement agency.