Sheriff's office faces struggles in tracking phone scams

Riley Funk, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·5 min read

Jun. 15—Phone scammers are getting trickier, and with recent reports of impersonations of law enforcement, officials are warning residents to use caution before giving out private information.

A phone scam was reported at the end of May in a Buchanan County Sheriff's Office press release, warning about a call from someone claiming to be from the sheriff's office. The scammer, calling from (816) 320-4426, says the resident has missed federal jury duty and has a federal warrant out for their arrest.

kAm}6HD\!C6DD }~( H2D ?@E:7:65 %F6D52J @7 2?@E96C D42> :?G@=G:?8 2 42==6C 4=2:>:?8 E@ 36 $96C:77 q:== !F6EE 9:>D6=7 2?5 2D2E:@? @G6C E96 A9@?6] %96D6 42==D H6C6 4@>:?8 7C@> kDEC@?8mWd_'X bh'\deg'k^DEC@?8mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am

kAm!F6EE D2:5 E96D6 C646?E 6G6?ED 92G6 =65 E@ 8C62E 4@?46C? 7C@> A6@A=6 H@C>6CD 92G6 366? 5:77:4F=E E@ EC246=J 5:77:4F=E] $@>6E:>6D E96J'C6 3FC?6C A9@?6D] $@>6E:>6D H6 7:?5 E92E E96J 2C6 :? 2?@E96C 4@F?ECJ 2?5 E96J 92G6 FD65 >F=E:A=6 EC2?D76C =@42E:@?D[" !F6EE D2:5] "(96? D@>63@5J :D 42==:?8 7C@> 2?@E96C 4@F?ECJ[ E96? E96C6 :D =:EE=6[ :7 2?JE9:?8[ E92E H6 42? 5@ 23@FE :E]"k^Am

kAm!F6EE D2:5 E96 =68H@C@7 EC242E:@?[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 7:?5:?8 A9@?6 C64@C5D[ 42? E26 E:>6] x? @C56C E@ 7:?5 E96D6 A9@?6 C64@C5D[ :?G6DE:82E@CD 92G6 E@ 7:?5 E96 A9@?6 4@>A2?J AC@G:56C 7@C E96D6 ?F>36CD E92E 2C6 D42>>:?8 qF492?2? r@F?EJ C6D:56?ED]k^Am

kAm"p =@E @7 A6@A=6 36=:6G6 E96C6'D @?=J 2 4@FA=6 A9@?6 4@>A2?:6D] qFE E96C6 2C6 2? 6?@C>@FD 2>@F?E @7 D>2== 46== 4@>A2?:6D 2?5 :7 H6 5@?'E A2?J :D E96? H6 5@?'E ] xE E26 @7 E92E DEF77 5@H?[" !F6EE D2:5]k^Am

kAmp?@E96C 492==6?86 :D 8:G:?8 56E2:=D E@ E96 AF3=:4] !F6EE D2:5 AC@G:5:?8 2?J 2E:@? 42? 36 2 5@F3=6\65865 DH@C5]k^Am

kAm"%96J'C6 252AE:?8 WE96 D42>>6CDX] (6 ECJ E@ 36 G6CJ EC2?DA2C6?E] (6 ECJ E@ AFE :?7@C>2E:@? @FE @? E96 H63 2?5 H6 ECJ E@ 6?8286 H:E9 E96 AF3=:4] qFE E96 >@C6 H6 6?8286 E92E[ @7 4@FCD6[ E96 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?'D @FE E96C6[" !F6EE D2:5] "$@>6E:>6D A6@A=6 E92E 2C6 =@@:K6 4:E:K6?D[ E96J E22E:@? 2?5 E96J FD6 E92E :? 2 3F?5=65 7@C>2E E@ 36 >@C6 :?7@C>65]"k^Am

kAmqF492?2? r@F?EJ :D?'E E96 @?=J A=246 D66:?8 2 C:D6 :? D42>>6CD :>A6CD@?2E:?8 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E] !F6EE D6?E @FE :?7@C>2E:@? @? =@42= D42>D E@ 2== D96C:77D :? E96 DE2E6[ 2?5 A=246D DF49 2D }6@D9@ 2?5 y@A=:? 92G6 C6DA@?565 92G:?8 E96 D2>6 :DDF6D] !F6EE D2:5 E96D6 D42>D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 4@?E:?F@FD :DDF6 8@:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am

kAm"x E9:?:E'D G6CJ >F49 2 4@?E:?F:?8 AC@3=6>[ E96D6 D42>>6CD 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ E9:D @G6C 2?5 @G6C 2?5 @G6C[ H96E96C :E'D 2 E9C62E 7C@> E96 D96C:77'D @77:46 @C 7C@> E96 D96C:77 @C 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 3@E9] %96J 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5F>A E96 A9@?6D] %96? E96J DE2CE H:E9 2?@E96C ?F>36C 2?5 2?@E96C 72D 92G6 >2?J qF492?2? r@F?EJ 4:E:K6?D H@?56C:?8 9@H E@ AC@E64E E96>D6=G6D]k^Am

kAm!F6EE D2:5 E92E 92G:?8 2 46CE2:? >:?5D6E H:== 8@ 2 =@?8 H2J]k^Am

kAm"x7 :E'D D@>63@5J 42==:?8 H2?E:?8 >@?6J 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6[ J@F 5@?'E H2?E E@ 6?8286 H:E9 E96>] %96 7:CDE =:?6 @7 5676?D6 :D[ J@F 92?8 FA E96 A9@?6[" !F6EE D2:5] "$64@?5=J[ ?6G6C AC@G:56 2?J A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@?[ 2?J 7:?2?4:2= :?7@C>2E:@?[ 2?JE9:?8 E@ 2?J3@5J @? E96 A9@?6 @C 6>2:= @C E96 >2:=[ F?=6DD J@F 92G6 G6C:7:65 WE96:C G2=:5:EJX]"k^Am

kAm!F6EE D2:5 5@:?8 E9:D H:== 96=A 4:E:K6?D 2G@:5 72==:?8 G:4E:> E@ E96D6 D42>D]k^Am

kAm"(6 C62==J H2?E @FC 4:E:K6?D E@ 36 D276 2?5 ?@E G:4E:>:K65] xE'D 962CE\HC6?49:?8 H96? H6 D66 D@>6 A6@A=6 E92E 86E :?E@ E96D6 D42>D D@>6E:>6D 7@C E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD[ 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 2 8@@5 962CE 2?5 E96J 36=:6G6 H92E E96 D42>>6CD E@=5 E96>] (6 H2?E E@ 8F2C5 282:?DE E92E[" !F6EE D2:5]k^Am

Riley Funk can be reached at riley.funk@newspressnow.com.