Got a call from a guy at this number who said he was with the "Warrants Division" at San Diego Sheriff's Dept. and warned there was a warrant for my son's arrest for failing to appear for Jury Duty. He said there was a fine and wanted me to go to Rite Aid or Wahlgreens and buy a MoneyPak card (which is like a gift card that you can load with cash) and take it to the Sheriff's station. It sounded plausible enough that I actually drove to the Sheriff's to be sure. I talked to the dispatcher on duty and she said it sounded like a scam. He called me back and asked where I was... When I informed him I was at the Sheriff's Dept. filing a police report, he hung up. The dispatcher assured me there were no warrants. I knew there wouldn't be, but, she made me feel a little better by checking. These scammers make my skin crawl. Don't fall for it!!!
Got a call from a guy at this number who said he was with the "Warrants Division" at San Diego Sheriff's Dept. and warned there was a warrant for my son's arrest for failing to appear for Jury Duty. He said there was a fine and wanted me to go to Rite Aid or Wahlgreens and buy a MoneyPak card (which is like a gift card that you can load with cash) and take it to the Sheriff's station. It sounded plausible enough that I actually drove to the Sheriff's to be sure. I talked to the dispatcher on duty and she said it sounded like a scam. He called me back and asked where I was... When I informed him I was at the Sheriff's Dept. filing a police report, he hung up. The dispatcher assured me there were no warrants. I knew there wouldn't be, but, she made me feel a little better by checking. These scammers make my skin crawl. Don't fall for it!!!
On Monday, Aug 8th, my wife received a call from Lt. Mark Anderson, almost identical to "Concerned Dad" post. This guy had my wife convinced, and terrified, that she would be arrested at home if she didn't bring $1900 in cash to the San Diego Sheriff's Office because "she ignored 2 grand jury summons" (never happened). He had a badge number, a judge's name, a correct address for the sheriff's office, very convincing. He also demanded she maintain contact on her cell phone and leave the house immediately to get/deliver cash. She convinced the guy to transfer the call and task to me. He maintained cell phone contact with me, asking where I was every 2 minutes while I was on the road. My wife, meanwhile, did some Google checking. The named judge was disbarred 10 years ago and there's no Mark Anderson at the sheriff's office. She then called the sheriff's office, found out it was a scam and frantically tried to call me. But the guy had me on the cell call. That's why they keep you connected, so you can't do anything else! Only when he broke connection for a minute she called me and filled me in. He called me back and I gave him an earful. The sheriff's office said that they ask you to stop short of the office a few blocks and deliver the cash to people waiting in a parking lot. They also said this is a country-wide scam this year and the Lt. Mark Anderson was calling using VOIP (internet) in which they can use any number they like. The number 858-859-8542 was answered "Hello, San Diego Sheriff's Office" until the afternoon of 08/08/2016, and now just rings and rings. They can change the number anytime. We didn't know about this scam before this happened. Be informed! On Youtube, search for "Mark Varnau, San Diego Sheriff". He has videos describing scams happening now.