LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. – The La Porte County Sheriff’s office is warning residents about a fraudulent phone call scam that has been circulating the area.

Several residents reported to officials that they received a call from a person claiming he was Sergeant Tony Wallace and that they were in criminal trouble for missing jury duty.

Deputies said the caller advises the citizen can pay a fine using Green Dot cards.

“It is unfortunate that scam artists are preying on our citizens and using the authority of law enforcement to coerce them into using their savings for these scams. We always encourage anyone that receives suspicious calls like this one to call the sheriff’s department and speak with a deputy to verify their concerns. We also encourage folks not to rush into paying when a scammer calls and always take a few minutes to verify the information.” La Porte County Sheriff John Boyd said.

Residents should be wary of calls asking to be paid by gift cards or having money wired.

The sheriff’s office wants to remind everyone that their office will not conduct business by telephone and never requires payment by gift cards. They will serve in document form by a deputy or in court.