Erie County sheriff deputies have issued a special alert to Clarence residents about a phone scam.
Erie County Undersheriff Mark Wipperman released a statement Monday night indicating some Clarence residents have received phone calls from someone claiming to be a sheriff's deputy. The statement indicates the calls began late Monday afternoon.
The caller claimed the individual failed to show up for grand jury duty and says a deputy will be arriving at the person's home with a summons for criminal contempt. The scam artist tells the victim the matter can be resolved over the phone if the victim purchases a cash card from a local convenient store and provides the card numbers and codes.
Wipperman says the Sheriff's office does not settle warrants or summons over the phone. He advises anyone receiving such a call to write down the phone number, ignore the imposters threats and contact the sheriffs office at 858-2903.