Community
Sex Offender Phone Scam Impersonates Sheriff Employees
| Nature of Incident: | Sex Offender Phone Scam Impersonates Sheriff Employees | ||||
| Report Number: | 19-118452 | ||||
| Location: | Ventura County | ||||
| Date & Time: | Months of June and July, 2019 | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau / Sexual Assault Unit | ||||
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| Narrative: | |||||
| Phone Scammers have been targeting Registered Sex Offenders and have demanded payment for ‘violations,’ in lieu of an arrest warrant. During the months of June and July, 2019, two registered sex offenders under the jurisdiction of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving phone calls from unknown males, whom have demanded money in order to prevent an arrest warrant being issued against them for ‘violations.’ The solicitors have falsely identified themselves as actual members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, but the phone numbers involved were NOT associated with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Instead, they were affiliated with areas in Santa Ana, CA and Santa Barbara, CA. A call to one of the numbers was greeted by an automated voice greeting with the following options: “Civil,”, “Fugitive,” and “Sex Offender.” The greeting included music for holding, as would be expected from a professional business. This scam is similar to other historical scams where suspects will contact potential victims and impersonate a governmental enforcement agency; threatening to take enforcement action against the intended victim unless he or she makes a monetary payment. Payments demanded will typically require a victim to purchase gift cards or money orders. The public is reminded that law enforcement does not request payments over the phone or by requesting the purchase of money cards. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam in which you suffered a financial loss, contact the Sheriff’s Communication Center at (805) 654-9511. You can also file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.ic3.gov. In addition, registered sex offenders who suspect they might be in violation of their registration requirement are encouraged to personally contact their local law enforcement agency where they are required to register. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant Ryan Clark | ||||
| News Release Date: | July 29, 2019 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Sergeant Ryan Clark (805) 384-4721 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Jeff Miller | ||||
Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511