Lassen Superior Court has been alerted to reports of a phone scam targeting members of the public.
In reported incidents, the caller may claim to be from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, Susanville Police Department, or another local law enforcement agency. The caller may even use the names of actual Lassen Superior Court judges and reference specific case information, much of which may be publicly accessible, in an effort to appear legitimate.
The scam caller may claim that:
• You failed to appear in court
• You are in contempt of court
• You failed to respond to a grand jury or other summons
• You are under a “gag order” and cannot discuss the matter with anyone
• You will be arrested or jailed for a lengthy period of time if you do not comply immediately
The caller may then direct you to:
• Go to your bank and withdraw cash
• Purchase gift cards
• Use a barcode sent by text message to buy or deposit cryptocurrency
• Make an immediate payment to avoid arrest or other consequences
Please be aware:
Caller ID can be spoofed. The phone number may appear as though the call is coming from Lassen Superior Court, a local agency, or a dispatch phone number. This does not mean the call is legitimate.
Important reminder from Lassen Superior Court:
While Lassen Superior Court does have a Collections Department and may at times make collection-related phone calls, the Court will never direct you to go to your bank and withdraw cash, send cash to the Court, purchase gift cards, or go to a store or kiosk to deposit or purchase cryptocurrency.
Do not send or mail cash Do not purchase gift cards or cryptocurrency Do not follow instructions to keep the matter secret Do not rely solely on caller IDIf you receive a suspicious call, hang up and independently contact the appropriate agency using a verified public phone number.
Please help protect others by sharing this information.
