Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is warning community members, businesses, healthcare providers, and partner agencies about a fraudulent email scam in which an unauthorized individual is impersonating a Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to solicit payments.

Sometimes you wish that Sheriff’s deputies would learn to throw these things like ninja stars and that — thwonk! — they’d plant one right in the forehead of some dude trying to scam an elderly person out of their savings. But let that wish pass right through you, because it wouldn’t be right for deputies to do that.

The Sheriff’s Office has recently received multiple reports from members of the public and government agencies regarding suspicious emails that appear to come from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office employees. The emails include an attachment that is falsely represented as an invoice or payment request.

These emails are fraudulent, and the sender is using a Sheriff’s Office employee’s identity without authorization.

In addition to reports from local businesses, the Sheriff’s Office has received inquiries from other law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and federal partners who have received similar emails. The County of Humboldt’s Information Technology staff is actively investigating the incident and working to mitigate the issue.

If you receive one of these emails:

• Do not open the attachment or click on any links contained in the email.

• Do not send payment or provide personal or financial information.

• Delete the email after reporting it.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to exercise caution when receiving unexpected emails requesting payment or containing attachments.

Anyone with information about this email scam or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.