[August 19, 2011] BRIEF: Phone scam operator impersonating Sheriff's Office deputy Tweet Aug 19, 2011 (Northwest Florida Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has been alerted that a phone scam operator is impersonating a deputy. The person is calling local citizens and requesting personal information after claiming they need to verify information for a traffic ticket, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's release. The caller behind the scam then tries to arrange payment over the phone. "It appears the caller is spoofing one of the Sheriff's Office dispatch numbers," the release said. One resident told deputies when he challenged the caller the man refused to give his name and threatened to issue a warrant against him. If anyone receives a call of this nature, they are urged to report it to the Okaloosa County Fraud Hotline at 651-7674. Anyone with information, contact the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office at 651-7400 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 863-TIPS. To see more of the Northwest Florida Daily News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.nwfdailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]