DASO warns of phone scams involving fake warrants

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) — The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a recent telephone scam that attempts to collect money for fake warrants.

The Sheriff’s Office says that a person is falsely identifying as a member of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and tells the victim that there is an outstanding warrant for their arrest. To clear the warrant, the victim is told to deposit money into various cash transfer apps such as Zelle, Venmo or PayPal, the Sheriff’s Office says.

The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public that it does not contact people by phone regarding outstanding warrants. Anyone who has a warrant for their arrest will be told in person by a uniformed deputy. Deputies do not collect payments or fees associated with any warrant.

If anyone in Doña Ana County is contacted regarding an outstanding warrant over the phone, collect as much information as you can, such as the name and phone number of the person contacting you, and report it to the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority at (575) 526-0795.

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