Jefferson County authorities warn of old scam with new twist

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is warning community members to watch out for an old phone scam with a new twist.

The Sheriff’s Office says scammers are calling Jefferson County residents and posing as members of their department. The scammers are apparently warning victims that they have active warrants our for their arrest and must pay fees immediately to avoid arrest.

The new twist, according to the sheriff’s office, is that scammers are telling people to go to the nearest Walmart Money Center to make a payment and email a barcode from an order at the money center.

Authorities say that scammers are attempted to collect barcodes they can scan and directly put money into their accounts.

“Police agencies will NEVER call you to say you have warrants,” said the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office via a news release. “You’ll never be asked to pay for an outstanding warrant through payment centers, with gift cards, or by wire transfer.”

If you receive a suspicious call and you are unsure if the order from the caller is true, authorities say to call back to the agency the caller supposedly works for to verify if that call was made on behalf of the agency.

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