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The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office has been alerted to a telephone fraud scam using the name of the sheriff’s department.

Scammers are identifying themselves as Suffolk Sheriff’s deputies, threatening the victim with an arrest warrant, and advising them to pay with a gift card or turn themselves in immediately.

If you receive any phone calls with someone asking you for any of your personal information, do not give it out; this is a scam. The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office will never call to request this type of information and the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office will never threaten you in any way.

If you are ever in doubt, hang up and call the office at 757-514-7840.

The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office gives these tips to protect yourself:

• Don’t assume that the information displayed on your phone regarding who the caller is, is accurate; any phone number can be masked.
• Never give out personal or financial information over the phone unless you know exactly who you are dealing with.
• When in doubt about who you are talking to on the phone, hang up and call the main number for the business that the scammer is representing.
• Report all frauds to the Suffolk Police Department at 757-923-2350.