ELMIRA, NY (607NewsNow) — A scam warning from the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office.
They say someone posing as “Sgt. Jim Ritter” has been calling people claiming there’s a warrant out for their arrest and asking for money for a court summons or civil process. The alleged scammer mentions a specific judge by name, and the victim is told to get MoneyPak cards from Dollar General or Family Dollar and give them the code on the card’s backside.
According to a post on Facebook, “be advised that these calls are fraudulent. No member of the Sheriff’s Office contacts the public under these circumstances demanding money. The Sheriff’s Office is advising the public not to disclose any personal information over the phone, to include credit and/or debit card information, and not to send any type of payment to this person or any person who identifies themselves as a law enforcement officer requesting money under these circumstances. If you do receive a call of this nature, simply end the call immediately or advise the caller that the Sheriff’s Office is aware of this scam.”
Deputies say no one from the department will ever call someone demanding money.