SHALIMAR — Okaloosa residents continue getting phone calls from a con man posing as an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to get money.
Variations of this scam have been employed for months and have been reported in Northwest Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
The most recent ploy involves a man posing as an OCSO supervisor who gives the name of an actual OCSO employee. He tells the person there is a warrant for their arrest and they need to go to a local pharmacy and purchase two Green Dot cards in the amounts of $500 and $495; then call him back with the numbers on the cards to avoid going to jail.
Those targeted say the scammer sounds very sincere and some residents may be easily fooled into thinking the caller is legitimate.
Anyone who has fallen victim to the bogus caller is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.
The sheriff’s office number is 850-689-5705 or 651-7400.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Man posing as Okaloosa law enforcement officer attempting phone scams