VIDEO: Phone Scammer Dials Number To Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents about a scam that could costs you thousands of dollars.

The phony calls are targeting elderly people telling them a warrant has been issued for their arrest for not showing up for jury duty.

Tuesday morning the call the scammer makes, takes a twist when the target on the other line is the man with the badge.

“Do you know who you’re talking to? You’re talking to the chief deputy and I’ve got you now,” said Chief Deputy Marc Miley in the phone conversation he recorded.

“Oh you’ve got me now?” asked the scammer.

Since last week, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office has been looking into this phone scam. Tuesday Chief Deputy Miley had a conversation with the scammer.

“They informed me that I had been subpoenaed for jury duty and didn’t show up and there were warrants for my arrest,” said Miley.

“You have a failure to appear and contempt of court and each of those has a $250 bond,” the scammer said in the recording.

The caller instructed Miley to put money on a card to keep from going to jail.

“What you’ll do is go to one of our local retailers and purchase a verification card and place your bond amount on it.”

After nearly 20 minutes, Chief Deputy Miley told the caller who he was, then the caller hangs up.  Miley says the caller goes to extreme links by using names of former employees of the sheriff’s department and Columbus PD.

“Whoever the caller is appears to have knowledge of the court system, inner-workings of the sheriff’s office, the booking system and things like that,” said Miley.

The sheriff’s office stresses no one from the department would call and say there was a warrant for your arrest.

Chief Miley is hoping someone recognizes the voice and they can put this scam to an end and the scammer in jail.

For the full recording click on the link here.