The San Luis Obispo county sheriff’s office is warning residents about a scam targeting individuals in the south county area, resulting in thousands of dollars in losses. In both reported cases, victims were contacted by suspects claiming that a family member had been arrested, and that money was urgently needed to cover bail and other legal fees.
Suspects posed as attorneys or other legal representatives, and even arranged for someone pretending to be the arrested family member to speak with them over the phone. Victims were instructed to withdraw large amounts of cash from their bank accounts, place the money in a box, and hand it over to a courier who arrived at their homes to collect it. One victim lost $16,000, while another lost nearly $10,000.
The sheriff’s office reminds the public that law enforcement will never call you to ask money for any reason.
