The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department has received numerous calls Thursday about a current scam in which the caller claims to be a DCSD detective. They are using the real names of department employees and spoofing the number so that it appears legitimate.

“It is not us,” the department wrote in a press release. “If you receive a call like this, please hang up. And please do not give them money. We cannot stress enough how important it is to share this information with family and friends who don’t have social media.”

Below are some tips to help keep from falling victim to a scam.

• No deputy or police officer will EVER ask for money or personal information over the phone claiming that you have a warrant, missed jury duty, or bond for a relative.
• No legitimate organization or agency will take payment via CashApp, Venmo, gift cards, Western Union, bank transfer, etc.
• Don’t answer numbers that you don’t recognize.

Although the alert is from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department, similar scams would be quite easy for suspects to expand into other Mississippi counties.