Beware This Phone Scam

Grand Valley residents are getting ripped off. There's a phone scam out there and locals have been taken. Don't be next.

Just this past week, three locals lost up to $1,500 in a phone scam where the person on the other end claims to be a representative from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office. The scammer goes on to say that you have a warrant out for your arrest or that you've missed jury duty and owe a fine. To pay the fine the caller directs the victim to purchase a prepaid card and put money on the card. The caller goes on to inform the victim that if they refused, they'd risk being arrested. Finally, the scammer asks for the card number and steals the cash.

So how can tell if it's a scam? The Sheriff's Office shared these tips.

1- The scammer is representing themselves as the "Mesa County Sheriff's Department." The real name is the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.

2- The Sheriff's Office wouldn't call to inform you that you had a warrant in the first place. Instead, they'd arrest you in person.

3-The main number of the Sheriff's Office doesn't allow for outbound calls. There are extensions required for making outside calls in the Sheriff's Office.

If you think you may have been targeted, please stop by or call the Sheriff's Office at (970)244-3500.

SOURCE: westernslopenow.com