Starke County Sheriff’s Office addresses influx of scam calls

The Sheriff’s Office says they are seeing an influx of calls where individuals are told they must make payments using accounts or cards such as Chime, Green Dot, PayPal, gift cards, or other electronic payment methods.

“Please remember: the Sheriff’s Office will never contact you by phone and demand payment for any reason, including incarcerated individuals, warrants, sex offender registry matters, or any other law enforcement issue,” the Sheriff’s Office said on their Facebook page.

“Never provide personal or financial information over the phone. Scammers often identify themselves as law enforcement officers in an attempt to gain trust. These scammers may monitor inmate rosters, search public warrant information, and review the sex offender registry to make their calls appear legitimate. Again, the Starke County Sheriff’s Office will never accept payment over the phone or request payment through gift cards, prepaid cards, or electronic payment apps.”

The sheriff’s office says if you receive a suspected scam call, report it to the Starke County Sheriff’s Office at 574-772-3771, option 2 for dispatch.