DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Two Central Illinois sheriffs are taking to social media to inform people about scam calls going around the area.
In DeWitt County, Sheriff Mike Walker said the most recent one his office learned of involved someone posing as a Decatur Police officer.
"[The person] informed them that they had failed to appear for jury duty and that they needed to meet them to pay a bond for failure to appear," Walker said. "Everything about that call was totally off on how jury duty, and appearing for jury duty, and failing to appear for jury duty works."
There were multiple red flags in that call. There is no cash bond in Illinois any longer; the person lived in DeWitt, not Macon County and police will never call you with that information, according to Walker.
In Sangamon County, Sheriff Paula Crouch told WAND News about a scam call telling people they needed to go get fitted for an ankle monitor.
"If they call all these people in and we have 25 people show up at our jail and say, 'I'm here to get my device,' it creates havoc." Crouch said this specific scam does not have a monetary motive, adding, "For us, the initial interpretation is that it's someone that's trying to undermine the criminal justice system and cause chaos."
Both told WAND News that senior citizens are the target of people trying to steal their money.
"They may not be as astute with the technology and it's easier for them to make a mistake and give somebody information to get into their banking or maybe even get into their phone or their device," Walker said.
Walker and Crouch said if you get the sense something isn't adding up, hang up the phone and call their office. They can confirm what's true and what is not.
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