In a news release Thursday, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office reported fielding multiple reports of a caller impersonating the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office asking the recipient to return a phone call to number 844-242-0008.

Upon calling the number back, the scammer tells the victim they’ve either failed to appear in Ellis County District Court or are the defendant in a lawsuit in another state in which they’ve failed to appear.

The scammer then persuades the victim into paying a court fine or the lawsuit off with American Express prepaid gift cards, coaxing the victim to relay the card account numbers over the phone.

“We do not request bond payment through American Express prepaid gift cards,” the sheriff’s office said. “Our main office telephone number remains 785-625-1040. If you receive a call from our office regarding a similar request, simply hang up on the scamster and report the incident to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.
Finally, we are working toward resolving these unsolicited calls through normal investigative procedure. No matter how long it takes. As always, we thank you for your continued support.”