The Kern County Sheriff’s Office would like to warn the public about a phone scam targeting residents in the area.
An unknown subject or automated voice message claiming to be from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office is calling people and claiming they have a warrant that needs to be paid for. The caller says there is a fine that must be paid through a listed ‘bonds office’ or QR code to avoid arrest.
This is a scam. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office does not accept any type of payment to clear a warrant.
Anyone who receives a call from an unknown person requesting money should research the matter prior to providing any funds or personal information. You can do this by locating the organization’s telephone number online and contacting them directly. When you take a phone call you suspect to be a scam, you can ask the caller for their name, employee identification number and callback number as well as a reference number for the matter they are calling about. This information can be used to contact the organization directly to determine the validity of the request.
If you receive suspicious telephone calls that you believe to be a scam, you are urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff's Office at (661) 861-3110, or your local law enforcement agency, to report the incident.
