Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has received several reports of a phone scam targeting local residents claiming to be with our office.

The scammer has reportedly given residents several different names, including the name of a current HCSO employee, Lt. Kevin Miller. The caller told the residents that they had warrants for their arrest and would be arrested immediately unless they sent money to the scammer.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that we will never call you and threaten to arrest you if you do not pay a fine, demand payment in exchange for dropping a warrant or ask you to pay a fine using pre-paid cards or gift cards.

Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office main number is 707-445-7251. All of our sub-station phone numbers are listed on our website.

Report phone scams to your local law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission.