Bladen Co. sheriff warns of phone scam

 BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office wants you to be aware of a phone scam targeting personal information claiming to be from law enforcement.

“We have had several calls from the public asking if this office can provide further information on calls they have received,” Sheriff Jim McVicker said in a news release. “We are telling everyone that this office is not making these calls.”

The sheriff’s office says residents get calls from California or Texas or from blocked numbers. The caller tells the victim they are calling from a law enforcement agency or jail in that state and a friend or relative has been arrested and listed them as a point of contact. They are told the caller needs their full name, date of birth, driver license number and Social Security number for their records before they can transfer their call to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, where a deputy is waiting to speak to them and give them the name of their friend or relative and their charges. The caller is using names of deputies who actually work at the sheriff’s office, which makes the call seem more legitimate. Of course when they give their information, the caller hangs up.

A second scam is similar to the first, but the caller tells the victim they are from the Social Security Administration and a lawsuit has been filed against them. They also ask for the victims, full name, date of birth, driver license number and Social Security number to verify they are speaking to the right person. They tell the victim that once they have the information they will transfer their call to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office for Deputy (name given) to speak to them and explain the lawsuit.

“These calls seem very real, and it is easy for individuals to fall prey to this type of scam,” McVicker said. “We need the public to know that we do not deal with any other agencies in this manner, and we do not make these calls and no other legitimate agency would need this information before transferring a call.”

The sheriff urges anyone who gets this type call to immediately hang up. If you are in doubt of the legitimacy of the call then call the sheriff’s office non-emergency number at (910) 862-6960 and ask for an investigator.

Sheriff McVicker said no legitimate law enforcement or government agency will call and ask for personal information of this nature.