Beaver County Sheriff’s Office warning of scam caller impersonating deputy

BEAVER, Pa. — The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office is warning people of a scam caller claiming to be a sheriff’s deputy.

Several people contacted the sheriff’s office on Tuesday, saying they had been called by an individual identifying himself as Capt. Jay Alstadt. The caller then claims there is a warrant for the person for not reporting for jury duty.

Although the sheriff’s office does employ Capt. Jay Alstadt, the office said, he has made no such calls.

When callers purport themselves to be sheriff’s deputies, it is often to scam the call’s recipient out of money, the sheriff’s office said. Scammers generally claim there is a warrant for the person’s arrest for failing to report to court or jury duty, and they must now pay a bill.

The sheriff’s office said scammers intend to scare the recipient into paying the amount supposedly owed. They are attempting to access information related to bank accounts, online payment systems, gift cards or credit cards.

People should always call the agency the caller purports to be from before relaying any personal information, the sheriff’s office said. For example, recipients of these calls should contact the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office at (724) 770-4602 or Beaver County Emergency Services at (724) 775-0880.

The sheriff’s office provided the following summary of how people can safeguard themselves from scam calls:

• Under no circumstances should a resident ever provide any personal information over the phone when receiving calls. If you have any question as to the legitimacy of the call, get the individuals name and position, hang up and then obtain legitimate contact information for the company/agency, through independent means, and re-contact them. As in this case, if they say there is a warrant for your arrest in Beaver County, contact the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office.
• Never provide credit card information, social security numbers, your date of birth, bank information, gift card numbers, etc. to anyone with whom you have not initiated the call.
• Note any telephone number of the caller displayed on your caller ID. Beware, however, that many scammers spoof the numbers of a legitimate entity to make you think the call is from who they claim to be.
• Document the conversation with the suspect.
• Disconnect without providing any financial and/or personal information.
• Criminals are able to access much of our personal information simply with the use of personal computers and websites.

The sheriff’s office asked people to share this information with friends, relatives and neighbors to prevent them from becoming victims.

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