It’s Time for Another Mesa County Phone Scam
Scam Alert! Scam Alert! Just when you thought Mesa County earned a reprieve from this nonsense, another phone scam has reared its ugly head. Look out, Grand Junction, these scams just keep getting scuzzier and scuzzier.
This time around, three Western Colorado residents have already fallen victim to this disgrace, losing hundreds of dollars in the process.
Here's how this latest round works:
Some piece of scum is calling people and claiming to be a Mesa County Sheriff's Office Deputy. This person has thus far identified themselves by several different names, some fictitious, some actual names of Mesa County deputies.
In some cases the caller informs the victim they have a warrant out for their arrest. In other cases, they inform the victim they've missed jury duty. In either instance, the caller advises the victim to get a Green Dot prepaid cash card for a specific sum of money, and then call an area code 970 number where they will be expected to provide the number on the card.
Don't be fooled! The Mesa County Sheriff's Office doesn't call to inform you of a warrant. How would they notify you? Like they say on their official Facebook page, "We would just come and arrest you."
Are these scammers local? Are they living right here in town? According to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, the answer is a resounding "no." More than likely, they're located in some far away land.... Loompaland, or wherever it is the Oompa Loompas hang out.
It's easy to fall for these scams. They seem legit at first. Help spread the word. Not everyone follows the Mesa County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, so make sure this info gets around.