SHAWANO COUNTY, WI – The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be on alert after receiving reports of scammers posing as Sheriff’s Office employees and even impersonating Sheriff George Lenzner.
Lenzner said several residents have reported receiving phone calls from individuals falsely claiming to represent the Sheriff’s Office. In some cases, the callers have even identified themselves as Sheriff Lenzner in an attempt to appear legitimate.
“I’ve also had residents report that someone claiming to be me called there too,” Lenzner said.
According to Lenzner, the scammers often demand immediate payment and may instruct victims to purchase gift cards or use other unusual payment methods to avoid supposed legal consequences.
“Just remember, you can’t believe everything on the phone and on Facebook anymore, especially when it’s something like this,” Lenzner said. “We’re not going to call people and tell them to pay. Some of these cases, they tell you to pay with a gift card and stuff.”
The Sheriff emphasized that the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office will never call residents demanding payment over the phone.
Anyone who receives one of these suspicious calls is encouraged to hang up immediately and contact the Shawano County Dispatch Center directly to verify whether the Sheriff’s Office actually attempted to reach them.
Authorities also remind residents never to provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers and to report suspected scams to law enforcement.
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