Berrien County Sheriff warns of lieutenant impersonation scam

The Berrien County Sheriff's Office says it has received multiple phone calls from people saying they've been contacted by someone pretending to be a lieutenant with the office.

Investigators say the caller claims to be "Lt. Justin O'Brien" with the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. He provides a fake story about missing jury duty or a warrant that was issued for the victim requiring payment to take care of the issue.

The call comes from a phone number with a (269) area code which makes it appear legitimate.

The Sheriff's Office says at no point will they contact residents of Berrien County via telephone demanding money or threatening to arrest people who do not pay. They do not request or accept payments that originate through money transfer locations such as Walmart, Walgreens, Meijer, Western Union, etc.

If you receive one of these calls, and you feel it's a scam, contact Berrien County Dispatch at (269) 983-3060 to verify the identity of the law enforcement representative.