Phone scammers are posing as Washoe County Sheriff Chuck Allen to fraudulently obtain money from people.

After identifying themselves as the sheriff, the scammer tells the person they are in some sort of arrears with the legal system and that their options are either to surrender themselves to the sheriff’s office for arrest or make a payment to adjudicate the situation.

Typically with these types of scams, the scammer then provides instruction on how the payment should be submitted, usually through an “eGift” cash card, pre-paid credit card, or similar payment to a specified account or name given by the caller.

These scam artists use pre-paid phones and many times are not even in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred, making their apprehension difficult.

Although the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office will sometimes make calls to inform someone about a warrant, the sheriff’s office will not ask for payment over the phone or negotiate for payment in lieu of arrest.

Anyone who has suffered a loss as a result of this scam is encouraged to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office at 775. 328.3001, ext. 7.