Scam ‘Jefferson County lieutenant’ making calls, demanding fine payments

Don't fall for it, agency says

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Several Jefferson County residents reported getting phone calls Thursday afternoon from a scammer claiming to be with the sheriff's office and demanding payment for supposed fines, the agency said in a scam alert to the public.

The caller claims to be a "Lt. Ellis" with the "Jefferson County Sheriff's Department warrant division." The agency has no such person or division, the sheriff's office said.

The caller apparently has some personal information about the person he's calling and is calling to collect payment on fictional fines.

"Rest assured, this is a SCAM," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post and a Frontier 911 text alert.

"If you call the number back, it reaches a recording that attempts to sound legitimate, but again, it's a SCAM," the sheriff's office said.

"Deputies will NEVER attempt to seek payment over the phone for anything, ever," they continued. "This scam has news releases from across the country."

You can report the scammer at this link: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted#crnt