The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about recent fraudulent calls made to residents where callers are impersonating law enforcement officers.

In its Community Watch Daily Report, the sheriff’s office said it recently received multiple calls from Hillsborough residents claiming they spoke with a “Deputy Mark” or “Officer Davis” with Orange County. These individuals then tell the residents they have missed a federal audit and have citations issued against them. The next steps of the scam calls typically direct residents to stay on the phone, go to nearby retail stores and purchase prepaid cards for hundreds of dollars before collecting the card numbers over the phone.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Monday these calls are fraudulent and reminded the community that law enforcement officer do not attempt service through those methods.

The string of scam calls is the latest reported in the Hillsborough community. In early May, the sheriff’s office shared a release saying a woman received a fraudulent call using the Orange County Sheriff’s Office phone number. The caller was an individual claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy who warned the resident about two false outstanding warrants and advised the woman to resolve them by purchasing prepaid gift cards.

“These calls occur frequently,” said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood in a release last month. “Sometimes the caller will say the person has outstanding warrants. Other times, the allegation is the victim missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid arrest. However, there is no criminal or court matter that can be resolved with gift cards.”

Guidance released by the sheriff’s office includes for residents to slow down and recognize scare tactics, never give out personal information to unknown callers and hang up if a gift card is mentioned as payment.

Residents who receive such calls and either identify them as a scam or are concerned about their validity are encouraged to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 919-245-2900.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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