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Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville said in the last couple of days, several county residents have reported receiving phone calls from a man impersonating a member of the Sheriff’s Office.
The man has been calling residents, saying he is “Sergeant Jason Cooke” from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 3 County Center in Carmel, the sheriff's office said.
The caller tells the person they are facing legal consequences for failing to comply with a prior or current criminal matter and that they are required to post monetary bail in lieu of being arrested, the department said.
The department said the man then says that to avoid being arrested, they must pay their bail by purchasing a predetermined amount of money in gift cards and providing the code numbers to the cards.
"This is to inform the public, specifically the residents of Putnam County, that the Sheriff’s Office will never call and ask residents for money or to purchase gift cards to satisfy a legal matter," the sheriff said.
There is no one employed in the department by the name of Sergeant Jason Cooke, they added.
If you receive a call, notify the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 845-225-4300.
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