The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scam calls from someone claiming to be a deputy.
The sheriff’s office has received reports from area residents about calls coming from the phone number (352) 282-0952. The caller claims to be a deputy from the sheriff’s office’s Civil Process Division. Those who returned calls from the number heard a voicemail that sounds like it is coming from the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s officials say the scam callers are spoofing the phone number that appears on caller IDs to deliberately disguise their identity.
“Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust,” a sheriff’s office Facebook post reads. “If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.”
The sheriff’s office says anyone who receives one of these scam calls should hang up immediately and avoid giving out any personal information.