Beware of Scam Calls

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is asking for the public’s continued vigilance about phone scams impersonating law enforcement officers. In one instance, a person reported losing $4,500.

Most commonly, the scam calls are from someone posing as an MCSO sergeant or deputy. It’s been reported that the scammer claims the recipient has a warrant, unpaid court fines or has missed jury duty and must pay a fine with a gift card immediately or be arrested. Often, a tactic of the scammers is to keep the person on the phone during the entire process and tell the person they are not allowed to contact family or friends for advice. Once the scammer receives payment, they often tell the person they can come to an MCSO office for reimbursement or a receipt.

We want to remind the public that we NEVER conduct matters concerning warrant service, missed jury duty, missed court dates or payment of fines over the phone. We urge you to be aware of these ongoing and ever evolving scams.

Signs it’s a Scam

• Scammers contact you “out of the blue.”
• Scammers ask for passwords, account numbers or other personal information.
• Scammers claim there is an emergency and need an immediate response.
• Scammers want you to wire money or purchase prepaid gift cards.
• Scammers tell you not to contact people you trust.