The Wright County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to more phone scam attempts in recent days in our area.
Sheriff Sean Deringer says that his department has received several reports of residents being contacted by individuals impersonating Wright County Sheriff’s Deputies.
The typical call includes a scammer falsely claiming that the person receiving the phone call has missed a court appearance, or failed to report for jury duty. This is then followed up by demands for payment for bail, or fines, either over the phone, or via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
Officials say if you receive a call like this, do not share any personal information, and do not call back the number provided in any message or voicemail.
Sheriff Deringer says the Wright County Sheriff’s Office does not collect bail or fines over the phone, and his department would never accept payment in the form of gift cards, wire transfers or bitcoin.
If you have any doubts about a call you’ve received, contact the Sheriff’s Office directly using a verified phone number.
A number of law enforcement departments in our region have also reported similar phone scam attempts in surrounding counties over the past several weeks.
