Sayre, OK – The Beckham County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a recent phone scam where callers pose as law enforcement officers in an effort to steal money and financial information.

Sheriff Derek Manning said the department does not call people asking for money, bank details, or payments of any kind. Anyone receiving such a call, text, or email should hang up and report the attempt to local law enforcement.

“The most recent scam involves someone claiming to be a sergeant with the Sheriff’s Office telling a family member they need to pay for an ankle monitor so a family member can be released from jail,” Manning said. “This is a fraudulent attempt to take someone’s money. The only way to protect yourself is by not giving out your information or sending payment to anyone based on a phone call. It will always be a scam, so don’t give them any money.”

Manning explained that scammers often sound convincing because they use personal details pulled from social media and public records. “They’re very experienced and talented at scraping details from social media and putting it together with publicly available information to make a very convincing story. Don’t be convinced,” he said.

If someone does fall victim, Manning advises contacting their bank or financial institution immediately to see if a payment can be stopped. “Unfortunately, all too often the damage is already done,” he said. “The best protection against such crimes is vigilance and an understanding that legitimate government agencies or businesses don’t try to get your financial info over the phone. Don’t ever give it out.”