MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OR - The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is asking for the public’s continued vigilance about a phone scam impersonating our members. Recently, we’ve learned of a family losing $20,000 to scammers.
Most commonly, the scam calls are from someone posing as a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office 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 or cash app 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 may tell the person they can come to an MCSO office for reimbursement. New tactics reported to us include, scammers using fake badge numbers and case numbers to try to legitimize their claims, texting fraudulent warrants and affidavits, and providing a phone number for callback that has a recorded phone tree similar to MCSO’s.
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 evolving scams.
•If you are called by a person claiming to be a member of the Sheriff’s Office and they are requesting payment in any capacity, DO NOT SEND MONEY or engage with these individuals. They do not represent the Sheriff’s Office.
•If you have been a victim of this scam, please file a police report by calling 503-823-3333 and select the option for non-emergency police reporting in the jurisdiction that reflects your residence.
Information from the Oregon Department of Justice
