By OAKLAND POST

Tony Hicks writes for the Bay City News Foundation.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office is warning people about a phone scam in which someone claiming to be from the sheriff’s office calls them and says they have a warrant for their arrest and will be arrested unless they pay them money.

“The Sheriff’s Office does not have people pay fines or fees through reloadable prepaid cards,” the sheriff’s office says on its Facebook page. Citizens are never contacted in this manner.”

“The Sheriff’s Office would like to warn the public about this scam, which has multiple versions. Scammers have also had listeners pay over the phone using reloadable prepaid cards purchased at a local store.”

According to authorities, many people have already been taken in by the scam, and anyone receiving such a call “should refuse to provide any personal information to the caller or simply hang up.”

“Please contact your local law enforcement agency and notify them of the incident to see if a report could be taken.”

The post Sheriff’s Office Says Phone Scammers Threaten Arrest to Get Money first appeared on Post News Group. This article originally appeared in Post News Group.