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S. Illinois sheriff warns of scammer pretending to be deputy

Posted January 21, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A Southern Illinois sheriff's department is warning residents about a scam in which someone pretending to be a sheriff's deputy tells people to send him money or face possible arrest.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports (bit.ly/1ZNmlCq) the St. Clair County Sheriff's department has received more than 10 reports of the scam.

Sheriff's Capt. Scott Weymouth says a man with a southern accent calls people and says there's a warrant for their arrest because they missed jury duty. The man says his name is "Deputy Marshal" and says people must pay as much as $2,000.

Weymouth says the department would never contact residents in such a manner.

One of the people who received a call was 69-year-old Imagene Davis. Her advice to others: "Hang up on them. Then call police."

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