Orange City, Iowa — Scammers are making it look like they are calling from the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, and sheriff’s officials want you to know, so you don’t fall victim to one of their ploys.
Sioux County Sheriff’s officials tell us they would like to make everyone aware of the scam involving the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments.
They tell us that people are reporting receiving a phone call that appears to be from 712-737-2280, which is the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office’s actual business phone number. The caller, who claims to be a Sioux County Sheriff’s Office employee, gives a fictitious name, tells you that you missed a certain court date and you are in contempt of court. In some cases, the caller wanted the person to record their name on a recorded line.
The sheriff’s office says DO NOT agree to do this. They say the scammer wants to use your recorded name to use in fraudulent transactions posing as you.
Sheriff’s office officials tell us they are informing the public that phone calls like these are not coming from their agency or any local police departments in Sioux County. They ask the public to be aware and not to give out any personal information. If you are in any doubt, they invite you to call their dispatch number to verify: 712-737-3307.
And, for whatever it’s worth, Sioux County Sheriff Jamie Van Voorst says if you actually were in contempt of court or facing some other kind of charge, it’s much more likely that officers would just show up looking for you, rather than call you on the phone.
