Don’t Be Fooled: Fake Deputy Calling Genesee County Residents

The Genesee County Sheriff's Department is sounding the alarm, alerting residents to a phone scam involving a caller impersonating a sheriff's deputy.

Scammer Uses Threats to Intimidate Genesee County Residents

Sheriff Chris Swanson's office says that residents have received phone calls from someone threatening to issue a warrant for their arrest because they've failed to show up for jury duty.

The fake deputy, who identifies himself as Deputy Zach Taylor, goes on to say that the target will be arrested if he or she doesn't provide specific gift card serial numbers and security codes.

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Genesee County Sheriff Scam - So Many Red Flags

If the name Zach Taylor sounds familiar, it isn't because he's a Genesee County Sheriff's deputy. I had to think back to my high school history class (and confirm with a quick internet search) that Zachary Taylor was actually our 12th US President.

Another Zac Taylor is the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.

(Genesee County does not employ a deputy whose name is Zach Taylor.)

The department's Facebook post goes on to say that the Genesee County Sheriff's office will never ask for payments via gift cards - and notes that legitimate transactions are rarely handled this way.

More Tips to Avoid Scams

Remember, and be sure to remind family members who may be vulnerable, anyone who is asking for gift cards is probably trying to execute a scam. Don't fall for it.

We have more on other recent scams here.