The Paso Robles police department responded to a report of “suspicious circumstances” on Wednesday.
A victim was contacted by a man who falsely claimed to be a deputy district attorney saying that her relative had been involved in a traffic accident, had been arrested, and needed over $10,000 to be released from custody. The scammer directed the victim to pay the funds in cash, and set up the money to be delivered via Rideshare.
Officers identified the third-party Uber driver involved in the scam, who was sent to collect the money, and were able to contact him. They determined the Uber driver had no knowledge of and was not involved in the scam. The money was returned to the victim.
The Paso Robles police department is continuing to identify any potential suspects, and reminds the public that debt collectors or government organizations will never send a courier to your home to collect funds or settle a debt.
