Leake County Sheriff Greg Waggoner has issued an advisory for Leake County residents to be on the lookout for scam artists claiming to represent the sheriff’s office.
Waggoner said he had had at least two reports Tuesday of scams attempted, one successfully, against county residents.
He said both residents had received phone calls from persons claiming to represent the S.O. in an effort to get money.
In one case a resident was called by a man claiming to be a deputy, who said the resident had missed an appointment in federal court, but could avoid incarceration by bringing money to the sheriff’s office, but switched to an electronic transfer process that cost the resident about $1,000.
Another resident was told a family member had been arrested, but money could be paid to keep the family member out of jail and safe. That county resident contacted the sheriff’s office and avoided any lost funds.
Waggoner said in both cases the scam artist even used his name in their conversation.
Waggoner said, “Hang up on these people and call the sheriff’s office directly to determine if there’s any validity to the call they received. I can assure them we do not call people by phone and ask for money to avoid incarceration.”
If anyone has received similar phone calls, Waggoner said, they should contact the sheriff’s office at 601-267-7361.
