Another scammer is trying to pull one over on Monongalia County residents by pretending to be a deputy.
The caller is identifying himself as Deputy Hamlin, according to Monongalia County Sheriff Perry Palmer.
The department doesn’t have a Deputy Hamlin and never has, Palmer said.
“I mean it’s the same old thing,” Palmer said. “People are getting our number and spoofing it and putting it on a thing and telling people either they missed jury duty or have active warrants.”
Thanks to the spoofing number, caller ID shows the call as coming from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department. The scammer tells his attempted victims that unless they pay up, through green dot cards or other prepaid methods, they will be arrested.
Palmer said his department does not call people for missing jury duty and deputies never request money over the phone — for any reason.
If someone receives a call like this, they should hang up and report it to local law enforcement, Palmer said. He also suggested that if someone doubts the legitimacy of any call, to hang up and call back using an official number found in the phone book, on a bill, or on a company or agency’s website.
So far, there have been five reports of this particular scam. Three on Tuesday and two on Wednesday. None of the five who reported the scam fell for it, Palmer said.
