FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Phone scams have been on law enforcement’s radar for decades but in the wake of the high-profile Nancy Guthrie abduction case, law enforcement across the country reports a rise in scams designed to create fear and panic in certain age groups and demographics.<\/p>\n
“We know people will go onto our website, there’s lots of names of sergeants, lieutenants and captains so they’ll pluck one of those real names and then they’ll plug it in, and make one of these phone calls, saying that they are, in fact, one of our employees,” said Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.<\/p>\n
And then there are the more common ruses scammers have long resorted to.<\/p>\n
“You’ve missed jury duty, and a way to avoid going to jail is to pay a fine. We’ve seen people call saying that we know you have a loved one in the Fresno County jail, and we can help bail them out. If you just pay us the bond, we’ll get that process going,” said Botti.<\/p>\n
Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said the agency will never solicit money over the phone.<\/p>\n
“Of course, we at the Sheriff’s Office never solicit money over the phone. We deal one-on-one with people, our civil unit handles a lot of the money matters,” said Botti. “If you ever get a call stating that it’s the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and we’re trying to shake you down for money, know that it’s a complete scam.”<\/p>\n
Law enforcement, including the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, also issued a warning Wednesday about a rise in kidnapping and ransom call scams.<\/p>\n
In Southern California, Derrick Callella allegedly used an app to create a fake phone number to text the Guthrie family. The federal complaint states he demanded Bitcoin as ransom from members of the Guthrie family in the days following Nancy’s disappearance.<\/p>\n
Scammers often prey on the elderly and those who do not understand English well.<\/p>\n
“If you can bulk somebody out of hundreds or thousands of dollars, then its mission accomplished for that scam artist,” said Botti.<\/p>\n
From phone scams to home surveillance, another way to protect yourself from an emergency situation starts with your security surveillance outside your front door.<\/p>\n
Botti advises checking your home security surveillance periodically to make sure it’s functioning right and know the password to share with law enforcement if necessary.<\/p>\n
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