The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued a situational awareness warning to Santa Clarita Valley residents of threat-based impersonation scams.

Scammers obtain personal information from several sources and falsely represent themselves as government officials or large corporations to deceive victims. Scammers often request money in the form of gift cards or cryptocurrency to “resolve” issues. Do not be pressured by threatening callers. Law enforcement/government agencies never ask for any payment over the phone.

Tactics:

— Scammers gather information on their potential victims from online sources such as LinkedIn, social media, professional profiles, and online search tools.

— Scammers call and use the information previously gathered on the victims to deceive the victims into thinking the callers are government officials.

— To make their demands more credible, scammers spoof phone numbers of legitimate government agencies and use the real names of government officials.

— They threaten the victims with arrest for outstanding warrants or other legal issues.

— They instruct the victims to “resolve” the matter by “posting bail” by sending money with gift cards or cryptocurrency.

— They usually instruct victims to provide gift card codes over the phone or send cryptocurrency to an address provided by the suspect.

— Scammers sometimes demand that the victims send photos of themselves for “virtual booking.”

— They often demand that the victims stay on the phone until their demands are met.

Be on the Lookout:

— If you are unsure about the origin of a call, text or email, verify the identity and the story of the senders/callers through independent sources, including visiting your local police/sheriff stations.

— Do not be pressured by threatening callers; hang up and verify their stories. Do not use the contact information provided by the callers or the numbers that called you because those numbers may have been spoofed.

— The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department or any other law enforcement agencies will never ask for any type of payment over the phone.

— Financial transactions with the Sheriff’s Department are handled in person, at local sheriff’s stations, courthouses, or custody facilities.

— Never send money or give your bank account details, credit card details, or other personal information to anyone you don’t know or trust.

If you are a victim of this crime, please contact Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station at (661)260-4000.