Scam Alert: Washington County Sheriff's Office Warns of Phone Scam

You pick up the phone. The person on the other end of the line says they are a lieutenant with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. They warn that there is an arrest warrant because you missed jury duty.

You're told you can make it all go away. All you need to do is load some cash on to a pre-paid cash card and send it to them.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office says here's the real warning - just hang up. It's a scam.

On Friday, a 70-year-old man in Washington County got one of the calls. He was directed to a nearby grocery store and instructed to load almost $2,000 onto pre-paid cash cards. The man then provided the card access codes to the suspect.

The sheriff's offie says that people need to know that a law enforcement agency will never request fines to be paid by means of a pre-paid card. Information about warrants can be confirmed in person at the sheriff's office. Never. Ever.

Anyone who has been victimized by this scam is encouraged to report the incident to non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111.

Image via Washington County Sheriff's Office