A scam that has been circulating around the Bay Area made its way to Napa County when a resident was coaxed into giving money over the phone, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office.
The scammer posed as a Solano County Sheriff's Office employee named Lt. Jerry Gamble and informed the victim that she had an outstanding warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty and that she owed money for court-issued charges, prosecutors said.
Using forceful and commanding language, the scammer convinced the victim to purchase a total of $3,822 in Green Dot MoneyPak prepaid cards and to provide him with their numbers.
According to the victim, the scammer seemed to have law enforcement knowledge and made believable threats of arrest, even stating the victim's home address and claiming her location was being tracked through the GPS on her cellphone, prosecutors said.
All of the calls were made with a 707 area code and have also recently appeared in Solano, Marin, and Sonoma counties.
Residents are cautioned to remember that law enforcement agencies do not call asking for Green Dot MoneyPaks, cash purchased debit cards or bank account numbers over the telephone.
If a resident receives such a call, they are advised to hang up and contact the proper authority immediately.
--Bay City News
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