Don’t Fall For The New Scam Happening In Natrona County

A phone scam has been reported in Natrona County, and residents must know the situation.

The Natrona County Sheriff's Office has reported that a scammer is calling people, identifying themselves as Lieutenant Ernie Nichols from the Sheriff's Office, and trying to convince them that they owe money because a warrant has been issued for missing a court date.

From the Sheriff's Office's Facebook page:

WE WILL NEVER CONTACT YOU BY PHONE TO COLLECT MONEY OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
If you're needed, our deputies will always come and speak with you IN PERSON with proper identification.
‼ We will NEVER ask you to pay a fine by Venmo, PayPal, Coin Stair, or gift card.
ADDITIONALLY... Phone scammers can be very convincing; they use intimidation tactics to scare you into quickly sharing personal and financial information. They will pressure you to send them money through unsecure methods like Zelle, Venmo, Gift Card numbers, etc. Alternatively, you should ALWAYS ask the caller to provide a name and phone number to call them back, and then immediately call us at 307-235-9282 to verify this information.

The Federal Trade Commission has a list of ways you can recognize scams.

If you're tired of scam calls, there are ways you can stop them.

If you've already been duped and paid the scammer, here are ways you can try to stop the payment.

Even though our phones are "Smart" these days, scammers still find ways to circumvent protections. If someone attempts to scam you and you follow the steps above to recognize a scam, report it immediately.