Crime & Safety
Sheriff's Office Warns of Fake Deputy Scam
In the scam, a caller claims to be a deputy and scams victims into sending money.
By Bay City News Service
The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office is warning county residents about a suspect posing as a sheriff's deputy who scams people into sending him money, a sheriff's spokesman said.
For about a month, the male suspect has called homes in Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood and throughout East Contra Costa County.
During the calls, the suspect identifies himself as "Lt. Stevens," claims there is a warrant for the person's arrest and requests money over the phone via prepaid credit cards to clear the warrant, sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said.
"A number of people have fallen for the scam and sent money to this individual," Lee said.
No one named Lt. Stevens works at the sheriff's office, which does not have a policy of requesting payments to clear arrest warrants over the phone, the spokesman said.
Anyone who receives this type of call is advised not to give out any personal information and to contact police to report the call.
The sheriff's office is working with police departments in East Contra Costa County to identify and arrest the suspect behind the scam.
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