Phone scammers impersonate Lake County sheriff’s office: authorities

Authorities are warning Lake County residents about phone scammers pretending to be local government or law enforcement officials.

Con artists have called residents and introduced themselves as government officials, the Lake County sheriff’s office said. The caller claimed to be a member of the sheriff’s office, using the actual name of an employee, and said the victim could avoid an arrest warrant by purchasing a “voucher.”

The sheriff’s office said its members and the 19th Judicial Circuit would never call residents asking for money, authorities said. The Lake County government also doesn’t ask for or accept payments in gift cards of “Green Dot” cards.

Anyone who gets a suspicious call is advised to hang up, block the number and file a report with police, the sheriff’s office said.