Deschutes SO warns: Phone scammers still hitting area

Telephone scammers continue to hit residents in the Central Oregon area, falsely claiming to be calling from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office or other local law enforcement agencies, officials said Sunday.

“Most recently, victims are instructed to go to Fred Meyer — Walmart has also been used in the past — and purchase some type of loadable charge card or debit card, then load that card with a specified amount of money,” Sgt. Vance Lawrence said.

The caller then will instruct the victim to give them the card number over the phone. The scammer, using the number alone, can withdraw all the money attached to that card almost immediately, Lawrence said..

“The money is generally taken by someone outside of the United States and it is not recoverable by law enforcement,” the sergeant said in a news release.

Lawrence offered “another reminder that NO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WILL CALL YOU ON THE TELEPHONE AND ASK FOR MONEY OR INSTRUCT ANYONE TO LOAD A CREDIT/DEBIT CARD FOR THEM.”

If you receive any such phone calls or have any questions, Lawrence urged you to call Deschutes County’s dispatch center at 541-693-6911 before following any instructions regarding this type of activity.