Chelan County Sheriff’s Office warns public of scam calls using Deputies’ names

CHELAN COUNTY — The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to a renewed wave of fraudulent phone calls in which scammers impersonate local deputies and attempt to extort money from the public.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, callers are falsely claiming that the recipient missed a court date or has an outstanding warrant for failure to appear. The scammers then demand payment to “clear” the warrant — a tactic deputies emphasize is never legitimate.

“Our deputies will not call you in regards to this nor will we ever ask for money for a payment to quash a warrant,” the release states. “This is a scam. Do not answer them and do not give them any money.”

This type of scam follows the same pattern as many in which callers demand payment over the phone, often including credit card numbers or other personal information. But the situations in which you might need to give any information like that over the phone are so rare that it’s wise to question it any time it happens.

The names currently being used by scammers include Deputies Key, McCue, Mathena, and Moody. The Sheriff’s Office stresses that any request for payment, personal information, or immediate action related to warrants over the phone, via text, or by email should be treated as fraudulent.

The agency urges residents to hang up immediately if they receive one of these calls and to avoid providing any financial or personal information.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media