Berrien County Sheriff's Office calls could be a scam

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- The Berrien County Sheriff's Office received multiple calls from citizens starting on June 13, relaying that they have been contacted by an individual claiming to work with the Berrien County Sheriff's Office, stating that they have been issued a warrant or that they have missed jury duty.

It is claimed that this individual is said to be using the name "Lt. Justin O'Brien" and is using a phone number with a (269) area code in order to make these calls seem more legitimate.

"At no point will the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office contact residents of Berrien County via telephone demanding money or threatening to arrest individuals who do not provide payment. Furthermore, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office and Berrien County Court do not request or accept payments that originate through money transfer locations such as Walmart, Walgreens, Meijer, Western Union, etc.," state officials. 

The Department asks that if you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the Berrien County Sheriff's Office and you feel that it may be a scam, please contact their dispatch at (269) 983-3060 in order to verify the identity of that law enforcement representative. 

The Sheriff's Office is actively investigating these incidents.