The Hancock County Sheriff's Office says scammers are posing as representatives of their department to demand money from residents.

A local resident told the Hancock County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday that they felt confident picking up a call recently, because the caller ID said it was from the sheriff's office, and the person on the other end of the phone claimed to be a representative of the agency. Sheriff's investigators say the scammer obviously had done their homework and learned some personal information about their victim because they then demanded money for an outstanding debt. The resident provided the payment because they believed the call was genuine.

Officials say they will never call residents asking for payment of a debt or for any financial transaction, so anyone receiving one of these calls can rest assured that it's a scam. The best thing to do is just to hang up and report it to the police. There are very limited circumstances under which a police agency can solicit funds in any form, according to the sheriff's office.

Anyone who is unsure about whether or not a call is genuine should hang up and then call the sheriff's office at 667-7575. Do not call the number that comes up on caller ID, even if it says it's from the sheriff's office.

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