Rice County Sheriff Warns of New Scam Tactic

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to beware of scams involving callers posing as sheriff’s deputies.

The Sheriff’s Office has received multiple calls from residents who say someone claiming to be a Rice County deputy told the person they missed jury duty and had a bench warrant, and tried to keep them on the phone.

Yesterday’s callers claimed they were Capt. Paul LaRoche with the Rice County Sheriff’s Office. This was a scam and not a legitimate member of the Sheriff’s Office calling.

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None of those who reported the scam stayed on the line long enough to determine what the caller may really have been after, though they reported feeling intimidated.

This scam has been around for a while and typically involves a caller saying the victim can avoid arrest by paying a fine, often in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency or digital cash transfers.

The Rice County Sheriff's Office will never call, email or text to solicit funds or collect fines. Valid warrants are not served by fax or e-mail. They are served in person by a U.S. marshal or other law enforcement officer. Juror summonses are sent through the mail and communication through any other method should be considered suspicious.

Legitimate government agencies will also not call individuals and demand immediate payment in the form of gift cards, cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) or digital cash transfers. Any unsolicited contact that puts you in fear, requests you to act quickly or states there is an emergency requiring you to provide funds or personal identifiable information is likely a scam.

The Rice County Sheriff’s Office recommends never giving personal information to unknown callers, and that anyone receiving a call from someone saying they’re a deputy sheriff can call the Sheriff’s Office at 507-334-4391 to verify that claim.