CHAMPAIGN, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY) – The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office continues to warn Champaign County residents to be wary of telephone scams. “Phone scams have
become commonplace, and scammers are becoming more convincing to the people they contact and more sophisticated in their tactics,” stated Sheriff Dustin Heuerman. “People need to be cautious when someone requests personal or financial information over the phone, regardless of how legitimate that request seems.”
In the phone scam most recently brought to our attention:
• the person is told they have a warrant for their arrest and have to pay to not get arrested;
• the person is told that law enforcement attempted to make contact at a specific
address (in some cases an old address of those being called);
• the number has been “spoofed” to appear to be from the Sheriff’s Office;
• scammers are using names of actual employees of the Sheriff’s Office when calling; and
• the person called is told to not contact law enforcement or go to the Sheriff’s Office or they will be arrested on the warrant.
Sheriff Heuerman reminds Champaign County residents that the Sheriff’s Office will never contact people and ask for money in lieu of being arrested on a warrant.
The Sheriff’s Office suggests that if a resident questions the legitimacy of a call because something seems “off”, they should hang up and verify the request by contacting the published number of the organization, such as a law enforcement phone number published on an official law enforcement website, even if the call appeared to come from
that organization. In this case, individuals can verify the call with the Champaign County Sherriff’s Office at 217-384-1204 during regular business hours.