Video: Lee County Sheriff Warns of Scam Hitting the Area

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson is warning locals to not fall for a scam that appears to be targeting elderly residents and asking them to pay hundreds of dollars to clear an arrest warrant. This weekend, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and Tupelo Police Department received reports from residents who were contacted by someone, claiming to represent the sheriff’s department.

The callers would then tell the victim that they failed to report for jury duty and a warrant had been issued for their arrest. The scammers then tell the victim to purchase a “Green Dot Money Card”  in the amount of $700.  Once the card is purchased,  the victim is asked to contact the scammer with the card number. The crooks take the card number, cashes it out and the victim is out hundreds of dollars. Sheriff Johnson called the number himself and talked to someone posing as the Lee County Sheriff.

“With it being as personal as it is and a lot of people knowing me I want to set the record straight, with you all’s help that we’re doing everything we can to try to obtain who this individual is, we have two different telephone numbers we are looking into,” Johnson said.

Sheriff Johnson emphasizes his department does not contact people by phone, asking for payment to settle a warrant. He also says if anyone gets one of these scam calls, to get as much information as possible about the caller, then call your nearest law enforcement agency, but do not get any money to the crooks.