(CENTREVILLE) - St. Joseph County Sheriff Chad Spence wants to warn the public of an active phone scam targeting county residents.
According to Spence, his office has received reports of individuals receiving calls from someone claiming to be a deputy from the Sheriff's Office. In recent reports, the caller identifies themselves as "Deputy Tate" and is calling from 269-294-0764. The caller then tells the victim they have missed a court appearance or have a subpoena and must take immediate action.
The goal of the caller is to create fear and pressure the victim into providing personal information or send them money.
Spence wants to stress that his office will never call residents demanding payment, request gift cards, ask for banking information, seek personal financial details over the phone to resolve legal issues, or threaten to arrest anyone over the phone.
Spence is encouraging anyone who receives a suspicious call to hang up immediately, avoid providing any personal or financial information, and contact the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office directly to verify the legitimacy of the call.
Residents who believe they have been targeted or may have fallen victim to the scam are urged to report the incident to local law enforcement as soon as possible along with their financial institution.