Over the past several weeks the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has received numerous calls about a person claiming to be Lieutenant Kemp with the department.
The imposter is calling unsuspecting Pima County citizens and telling them they have a warrant out for their arrest. The suspect then tells the potential victim that the fine must be paid immediately via prepaid card. He has been telling his victims to meet him at an actual Sheriff’s Department office, but while they are en route, the suspect tells the victim he cannot make it, and tells the victim to give him the number off of the prepaid card. The victim then loses their money and the suspect is never heard from again.
Over the past several months, the suspects have used different names from Lt. Kemp to Lt. Brown, but most all cases consist of the suspect claiming the victim has a warrant or unpaid fine which the suspect claims must be paid immediately.
The department has also received several reports where someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service calls a potential victim and demands a payment over the phone.
In most cases the suspect wants the victim to put money on a prepaid card. Once the victim gives the card number to the suspect, their money is gone, with virtually no way of getting it back.
The Sheriff’s Department wants to stress to the public, employees from the department will never request a payment over the phone. If citizens receive this type of call, they should hang up. Never give the suspect money. Thus far, victims have lost hundreds of dollars to these scammers.