Crime & Safety

Scam Alert: 'There's a Warrant Out for Your Arrest'

Beware of the latest scam in San Diego County.

It's a startling phone call you could receive: "There's a warrant out for your arrest." A scam going on right now in many counties hopes that fear will cause you to act without thinking. 

The caller is very pushy and poses as an employee of the Sheriff's Department. To make the pitch very convincing, the scammer will: 

  • use the name of an actual Sheriff's Department employee
  • give the actual telephone number of a Sheriff's Station or Substation
  • have some of your personal information such as a former address or your date of birth
  • threaten you with jail time or taking away your driver license
  • ask for more personal information 
  • ASK FOR MONEY either with a credit, debit or prepaid card 

Impersonating a Sheriff's Deputy is a violation of state law. REMEMBER, no deputy or employee of the Sheriff's Department will ever contact members of the public by telephone to demand money or any other form of payment. If you get this type of call, hang up immediately. 

People with outstanding warrants are encouraged to turn themselves in Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at any one of the Sheriff's Court Facilities goo.gl/y035S. For more information on warrants and bail notices, visit goo.gl/J5N5g. To check if you have an outstanding warrant in the County of San Diego, visit goo.gl/J5N5g

—San Diego County Sheriff's Department


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