Sheriff’s Office reports new phone scam with deputy impersonation

The Sanpete County Sheriff’s Office warned residents this week about an active phone scam in which callers falsely claim to represent the sheriff’s office and threaten people with felony warrants or subpoenas.
According to the sheriff’s office, multiple residents have reported receiving calls from individuals posing as deputies who claim the recipient has outstanding felony warrants. The callers then attempt to collect personal information or demand immediate payment to resolve the alleged warrants.
“This scam has been used to collect personal information and to have the person make payments on the warrants,” the sheriff’s office said in a public alert. Officials emphasized that the sheriff’s office will never call demanding payment for bail or warrants and will not request financial information over the phone.
Several residents shared their experiences in response to the alert.
“They called my husband. He immediately knew it was a scam,” Leslie Hayes Walker wrote, adding that when her husband told the caller he was going to speak with a neighbor who works in law enforcement, “the guy hung up.”
Others reported responding more bluntly. “They called me yesterday,” Chad Leffler wrote. “I told them to come work for their paycheck.”
The sheriff’s office advised residents not to provide personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account details to unsolicited callers. For those concerned about whether they may have a legitimate outstanding warrant, officials directed residents to the Utah Department of Public Safety warrant lookup page and said any actual warrant should be addressed by contacting the court directly.
Residents who receive scam calls are encouraged to report them to the Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Consumer Protection, which tracks and investigates fraudulent activity statewide.
Law enforcement officials said scammers often rely on fear and urgency to pressure victims into quick decisions, and they urged residents to hang up on suspicious calls and verify claims through official channels before taking any action.