BELL COUNTY, Texas — The Bell County Sheriff's Department is alerting the public of a phone scam circulating in the area of a man presenting himself as a officer with the BCSD.
The department said the male caller is using various names, titles and telephone numbers. The scammer tells those he calls that they have an arrest warrant and requires their DNA, the department said.
The call includes sounds of police scanners in the background and the man is using the Bell County Sheriff's Department Public Service Officer number as a reference, which is 254-933-5412.
Officials say the man is telling those he calls that transactions are handled over the phone due to the pandemic. He then asks the individual to go to a grocery store, buy gift cards in various amounts with the male caller on the phone the whole time.
"The Bell County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind the citizens of Bell County that we do not conduct business in this manner and we do not request gift cards to be purchased in exchange to satisfy arrest warrants," the department said in a release. "The Bell County Sheriff’s Department will never telephone anyone concerning an arrest warrant, much less ask for arraignments to be made over the phone."
The department asks that anyone who receives a call from someone saying they are with the BCSD and feels suspicious of the call to hang up and call the department at 254-933-5412 and speak with a deputy.