Man claims he is Fayette County sheriff’s deputy in local scam alert
A man has been making calls claiming he is a deputy with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and asking for money to settle a claim.
Fayette County Sheriff James Custer issued a warning Wednesday saying a man calling himself Deputy Mark Davis called several local businesses and residents saying they failed to appear for grand jury duty.
“The caller indicated he had signed paperwork from the individuals and they would be more or less held in contempt,” the press release said.
The caller would direct them to pay an amount of money to settle the claim and ask to meet them to collect payments. Reports indicated the caller asked for amounts ranging from $1,900 to $3,800.
“The citizens indicated the caller sounded legitimate and that he even mentioned the sheriff and a court of common pleas judge by name during the conversation. They said the caller also had significant personal information about them,” the release said.
The caller leaves a phone number that traces back to a Google Voice account.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office does not solicit for money or collect money over the phone. The office warned not to give personal information over the phone.
Anyone who wants to verify whether contact from the sheriff’s office is legitimate can call the office to confirm whether it is an official service.
Reports have also been made in Franklin and Blair counties of a caller using the same name.