Collier County Sheriff’s Office warns of voicemail scam

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The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has issued a public service announcement, warning of a scam in which a fraudster leaves a voicemail advising their intended victim to contact a specific person at the sheriff’s office.

CCSO further mentioned that when the victim calls the number left by the fraudster, they are connected to a recorded phone menu that sounds legitimate and provides options to be connected to various departments in the agency.

The goal is to engage the victim and obtain their personal identification information.

This scam can take on many forms, including people impersonating the IRS, a bank, utility companies and other legitimate organizations.

The fraudsters may claim you did not report for jury duty, have a warrant for your arrest, are in contempt of court or failed to pay traffic citations.

If you receive a voicemail like this, look up the organization’s actual number and call it to verify the information you received in the voicemail.

For assistance with any suspicious encounter involving a request for money or personal information, contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s Call Before You “Pay” hotline at 239-252-2255.

The hotline is staffed by a CCSO deputy in the Financial Crimes Bureau between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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