On Thursday, the Collier County Sheriff's Office warned people of a phone scam going around.
The scam leaves a voicemail telling victims to contact a specific person at the Collier County Sheriff's Office. When the person calls the number left by the fraudster, they are led to a recorded phone menu that sounds legitimate and provides options to be connected to various departments in the agency.
The scammer may report that you do not have to appear for jury duty, have a warrant for your arrest or failed to pay a traffic citation.
According to the real sheriff's office, the goal of this scam is to get personal information from the victim.
CCSO warns that the scam can impersonate any legitimate organization, such as a bank or a utility company.
If you receive a voicemail like this, look up the organization’s actual number and call it to verify the information you received in the voicemail. They may even send you a text message.
For help with any suspicious incident involving a request for money or personal information, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Call Before You "Pay" hotline at 239-252-CALL (2255). The hotline is staffed by a CCSO deputy in the Financial Crimes Bureau between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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