A scam artist pretending
A scam artist pretending to be an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy attempted to defraud a local woman out of $1,000, a news release from the Sheriff's Office said.The suspect called the potential victim and told her a if she did not send an electronic payment of $1,000 right away, he would issue a warrant for her arrest for failure to appear for jury duty, the release said. The caller's phone number had been altered so that it appeared to have originated from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office Administration Building.The victim became suspicious of the call and contacted the Sheriff's Office, and ECSO employees confirmed the call was not legitimate.There are multiple variations of this scam currently circulating, including versions where scam artists pretend to represent the Internal Revenue Service, utility companies or other law enforcement agencies.The Sheriff's Office is encouraging citizens to remember the following tips to prevent phone fraud: Always be ...