Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman warns the public of multiple scams going around where scammers are portraying themselves as our deputies and using their actual names.

The first scam - Callers are advising that they are receiving phone calls from a person claiming to be a “Deputy” or “Sergeant” from our office stating that they missed jury duty and that there is now a warrant for their arrest for failure to appear. The scammers then tell the victim that they need to buy gift cards to pay for their warrants.

The second scam – Registered Sex Offenders are being notified by scammers saying they are “Detective McCoy” or an actual employees name and that they are “out of compliance”. They are told that they need to pay a fine…usually with gift cards or pre-paid cards.

PLEASE NOTE: Our staff will NEVER ask for money or gift cards to clear a warrant or pay a fine; nor will you be arrested if you call our office to check the validity of the accusations.

If you receive one of these calls, please hang up immediately. As a reminder, NEVER give out personal information over the phone. If you feel like you have fallen victim to any scam. Please call your local law enforcement to get a report.

You can check to see if you have an active warrant by visiting the Sheriff’s Office website at www.mercercountysheriffohio.gov.