For years, a phone scammer has targeted residents by impersonating top sheriff’s office brass in the Central Valley and attempting to trick them into sending money online. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has warned the public since at least 2023 about the ongoing scam. Recently, the office offered more details about the identity of the scammer.
“This person, who reportedly uses a strong southern accent, is a fraud and does not work for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office,” spokesperson Tony Botti wrote in a release last month.
Botti said the scammer tends to “prey on elderly citizens” by claiming they are a captain, lieutenant or sergeant with the sheriff’s office and running a common scheme called the “Actual Loved-One Is in Jail Scam.” In this case, the victim is told they have a loved one in jail, and in order for the loved one to be released, the victim has to buy an ankle monitor that can cost “hundreds or even thousands of dollars.” Botti said victims are told to send money through a digital payment like Zelle or Cash App or with cryptocurrency and that they can later return the ankle monitor to get their money back.
“We always want to remind you that the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office never does business this way,” Botti said in a clip about the scam. “We will not call you to tell you you’re in trouble, you missed jury duty, you have a warrant out for your arrest and that if you pay a sum of money, you’re going to get out of trouble.”
Berry said he “can’t confirm” if the scammer impersonating a member of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office also has a strong Southern accent, but he’s seen these types of scams for years. “They’ve used my name at one point,” he said. “I think they find information on the internet.”