Scammers Pretend To Be Police To Extort Money In Marin County, Sheriff's Office Warns

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Scammers have been pretending to be a police sergeant and have been calling locals threatening to arrest them or other legal action to extort money, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday

The sheriff's office stated that it has received multiple reports of residents receiving scam calls from individuals claiming to be "Sergeant Sean McKrell." These scammers often leave voicemails providing a callback number that also includes a message claiming to be the desk of Sergeant Sean McKrell, police said.

Deputies said the imposters are falsely threatening targets with immediate arrest, outstanding warrants, or other serious legal consequences unless a payment is made right away.

"A real member of the Sheriff’s Office will not randomly call you to say you have a warrant or try to collect bail money over the phone. The Sheriff’s Office will never ask for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or electronic payments," police said. "If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately."

If you or someone you know has been contacted by this scam and provided any personal or financial information, you can report it to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency line at 415-479-2311.