Authorities are warning the public of a rise in phone scams that involve callers impersonating Los Angeles County deputies.

The callers will typically pretend to be a deputy sheriff or someone who works for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and will threaten victims by phone, email, or other forms of communication, officials said. Oftentimes, they will be asking for monetary payment of some sort.

Before choosing their victims, the suspects will typically conduct reconnaissance on the victim’s social media profiles or any information they can find online. When communicating, scammers may call and pretend to be law enforcement officers or employees from a government agency.

They may even spoof their phone number so that the victim’s caller ID will show the number is from the sheriff’s office or a similar agency.

Authorities are warning locals to be on the lookout for these scam phone tactics:

• They threaten victims with arrest for outstanding warrants or other legal issues

• They instruct the victims to “resolve” the matter by “posting bail” with gift cards or Bitcoin payment

• Once a victim makes the purchase, the scammer instructs them to read the gift card numbers or Bitcoin key over the phone

• Once the scammer has received the necessary payment information, the line is disconnected

LASD offers these tips to avoid falling victim to a scam caller:

• If you’re unsure whether a call or email is real, verify the identity of the contact through an independent source such as a phone book or online search. Do not use the contact details provided by the caller or in the message they sent.

• Do not feel pressured by a threatening caller. Hang up and verify their story.

• Never send money, or give bank account, credit card, or personal information to anyone you do not know or trust.

• LASD personnel or any government agency would never ask for any type of payment over the phone. Financial transactions are typically handled at patrol stations, courthouses, and custody facilities.

Anyone who may have been a victim of this type of crime is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency. All LASD station contact information can be found at lasd.org/stations.

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