Over the past week the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office has been receiving calls regarding a phone scam targeting registered sex offenders.

The unknown caller contacts registered sex offenders purporting to be an employee of the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office. The caller claims that there is a warrant for the arrest of the registered sex offender and demands that the registrant obtain a prepaid Visa card to pay the bail for the warrant.

Tehama County Sheriff’s Office deputies will never call and threaten to arrest you because you have an outstanding arrest warrant — or missed jury duty — or have a tax bill due — or anything like that.

Deputies will also never ask you to place funds for payment on a pre-paid credit card to “cancel the arrest warrant,” or to pay a phony federal tax bill, or some other made-up charge.

Citizens should be aware that anytime someone tells you to get a pre-paid credit card to take care of a fine or anything like it over the phone – it’s a scam.

• See Press Release: Scam Alert