Scam Alert: Beware of impersonation scam targeting residents

The Ontario County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a scam in which a person identifies themselves as a federal or law enforcement officer and demands payment.

Through the scam, the caller states that they have a warrant for the victim's arrest and an officer will be coming to their residence to apprehend them if they do not send a payment to a specific location, said Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione.

In one incident, a man who identified himself as a sergeant from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday and told the victim she had a warrant for a violation and that she owed $50,000 and that she needed to pay 10% - or $5,000.

"While these scammers are becoming more elaborate in their tactics by using real law enforcement titles or names and spoofing their numbers to show as county government, we remind all of our residents that no law enforcement agency would call anyone who has a warrant out for their arrest and direct them to pay money to satisfy this charge," Cirencione said. "A warrant is a legal order from the court directing the in-person appearance of the subject named within."

Anyone who receives such a call, should not send money and should report the incident to police.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Scam Alert: Beware of impersonation scam targeting residents