Sonora, CA…From the Tuolumne Sheriff’s Dept…”Our office has recently received several concerning reports of a new phone scam making its rounds. The scammers are reportedly calling and claiming to have kidnapped a loved one of the person they called. The scammers are demanding a wire transfer of money to an account or they will cause harm to the family member. The reporting persons state the calls are disturbing and seem real as a person can be heard screaming in the background of the call.

We want to make everyone aware of this concerning scam. Due to the upsetting nature of the call, it is understandable why someone may be tricked into following the scammers orders.

It is important to remember, if you are being asked to wire transfer, provide personal identifying information, or purchase gift cards by someone over the phone, you should immediately begin to be concerned the caller may be a scammer. If you receive a concerning call or believe you are being scammed, please call our dispatch center to report the incident (209)533-5815.”