UINTAH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) – The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public not to fall for a scam involving someone posing as a current or former deputy.

The sheriff’s office states that the scammer may actually use a real or former deputy’s name and demand payment over a “missed court date” or a fine. In fact, the scammer may even claim that you will be arrested if you do not pay up.

A social media post warning the public states, “If you receive a call from someone saying they are with the Sheriff’s Office or they actually use a real or former deputy’s name telling you that you missed court or owe money for a fine and are demanding immediate payment or you will get arrested, this is a scam!”

Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office says that nobody from their office will ever call and demand payment of any fine over fear of arrest.

If you encounter a situation that you deem suspicious, or have any questions or concerns about a potential scam call, “hang up and call Central Dispatch at 435-789-4222,” the office states. “Speak with a real deputy, we will be happy to talk to you.”

Be sure to watch for any similar potential scams, like the one in October of 2022, where a man was reportedly going door-to-door in Washington Terrace claiming he was with a construction company, checking water quality, and needed access to the home.

Then there’s this one, where a man was claiming to be with Sandy City Animal Services, Sandy Animal Hospital, or something similar, contacting people who had posted missing cats online, and asking for money to return them.

In fact, there are many “impostor” scams. Impersonation is a very common tactic used by scammers, according to the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker Risk Report, but they all have the same intent: to trick you out of your money or personal information.

Here is a list of some other impostor scams to watch out for:

  • Power/utility scam
  • Phony banking texts/Phishing scheme
  • IRS impostor scam
  • Emergency scam
  • Favor for a friend scam
  • Tech Support scam
  • Better Business Bureau scam

When you have second thoughts about the nature of a call, or an individual, stay calm, and check with the organization they are claiming to be with before acting.