BCSO warns against phone scams

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office released a warning Monday that fake jury duty and arrest warrant phone calls are making their way around Idaho, and tips to avoid being scammed.

“Bonner County deputies will never call and threaten to arrest you because you have an outstanding civil judgment or missed jury duty,” Monday’s statement reads. “Deputies will never ask you to place funds for payment on a pre-paid credit card to ‘cancel the arrest warrant’ for the fake civil judgment or warrant.”

BCSO reports scammers will often ask victims to purchase a pre-paid credit card, such as a Green Dot card, put money on the card then call another number with the card’s information. Another sure way to know it’s a scam, BSCO said, is that the caller asks for money to be transferred electronically.

According to the sheriff’s office, these scam calls are often made with burner cell phones, making them hard to trace.

BCSO reports the Better Business Bureau is aware of the scam and is advising people against giving out personal information during unsolicited phone calls.

Anyone who receives one of these scam calls should report it to BCSO dispatch at 208-265-5525.