Phone scam targets residents impersonating the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of another phone scam impersonating law enforcement. This is the second scam to occur this week.

One resident received a call from scammers who claim to be with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. They said the scammer identified himself as John Faust from the Federal Reserve.

The victim was told that she was being investigated for her involvement in a $2 million dollar drug trafficking operation. The scammer then put her on a 3-way call with someone else pretending to be the sheriff, who they identified by name to sound legitimate.

The victim said the call was disconnected and when she called back using caller ID, it was forwarded to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office said scammers have the ability to "spoof" phone numbers and make it look like they are calling from a different location.

They are reminding everyone once again that Law Enforcement agencies will not call to demand money. To confirm if you are talking to a real person from an agency, you can look at their number which is publicly listed on their website. They say if you receive a call like this, report it immediately.