Santa Cruz County Targeted By Fake Sheriff's Deputies

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a telephone scam that's hit the area.

On Tuesday, a Santa Cruz county resident received a call from a person claiming to be a Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputy. The suspect claimed the victim had several warrants, including a $2,000 fine. The suspect also referenced several deputies who work at the sheriff's office.

The victim did not provide the caller with any information and instead reported the incident. When sheriff's deputies called the number back, it had a voicemail claiming to be the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

The number associated with the call was 831-275-3211. This number is from a VOIP provider (Voice Over IP). Numbers such as these are often difficult to trace and can be spoofed to use local area codes and prefixes, further confusing potential victims, according to the sheriff's office.

"A reminder, deputies do not call people with warrants and ask them to provide payment or information to make the warrants go away," the sheriff's office shared on social media. "Please remind your elderly loved ones of this information as they are often targeted for these types of scams."