EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete said his staff received at least six calls June 5 alone from area residents saying someone had called posing as a deputy and demanding they deposit money into an account to avoid being arrested. Those calls, he said, are scams.

“About two or three times a month, there’s some scam that locals seem to be getting calls about,” said GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.

The callers are often using a spoofed number — disguised to look as though it’s coming from the agency they say they’re calling from — and are often conducted by people who aren’t in the state and possibly not even in the U.S. While many people hang up or screen such calls, the scammers “know the law of averages,” Foreman said, and keep dialing numbers until someone takes the bait. In the instance of the calls June 5, the scammers posed as GCSO deputies and demanded the deposits be made or the person would be arrested. 

However, Foreman said that simply isn’t how the process of collecting on a fine works. Deputies or officers with other agencies don’t call on the phone. Nor will they demand money. Fines must be paid at the courthouse or by mail via instructions provided on the fine or other court-issued documentation. If a warrant is out, the deputies will go in person to serve that warrant rather than placing a call. If a person hasn’t committed any crimes, they won’t have any warrants outstanding, he said. If they’re unsure, they can find out.

“If a person is curious about whether they have a warrant, they can call the sheriff’s office and ask to check to see if they have an outstanding warrant, and then find out what steps they need to take to resolve it, but we’re not going to call up and pressure you to send money to make a warrant go away,” he said. 

Scams are plentiful these days, Foreman said, and it’s important for people to protect themselves. Those with older family members who may not be familiar with such scams and the related technology should explain the possibility ahead of time to ensure the elders of the family aren’t taken advantage of by scammers.

Other steps to take to avoid scams include ensuring antivirus software is up to date on all computers and other devices, asking for information from the caller to reach them back after you’ve been able to confirm their identity, and not providing personal information over the phone. Legitimate organizations will want to provide that information and ensure the person they called feels safe. Once information is provided, find the phone number of the business and contact them directly to confirm rather than provide the information during the initial phone call. 

Foreman said a scam conducted by overseas criminals recently victimized a retiree in Grant County.

“Through the scam, they were able to talk $60,000 out of this senior citizen. It wasn’t until after he started feeling that things were really suspicious that he called law enforcement,” Foreman said. “And law enforcement had to break the news to him that he had just been scammed and the chances of recovering the lost $60,000 were none.” 

Foreman said it’s best to call law enforcement early when a scam is suspected. Reports can be made to the Multiagency Call Center by calling 509-762-1160 and following the prompts provided. An officer will be dispatched to assist the caller once the information has been provided.