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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Snowy weather and roads coming our way ... Mt. Ashland: All systems go at the ski area ... Location, location, location ... Snowy weather and roads coming our way ... Mt. Ashland: All systems go at the ski area ... Location, location, location ... PUBLIC SAFETY Scammer impersonates sheriff's captain Caller asks for money to avoid arrest Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 3:51 PM Updated Sep 9, 2015 at 5:32 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 3:51 PM Updated Sep 9, 2015 at 5:32 PM » Social News No, a Jackson County sheriff's captain isn't trying to extort you over the phone because you missed federal jury duty. It's just a scammer purporting to call from a Klamath Falls number. Hang up. The department has received several recent calls from area residents claiming Capt. Nathan Sickler — the actual name of the agency's operations division captain — has called them and advised they missed a court-mandated appearance for federal jury duty. That's followed by false threats of imminent arrest and a lie that paying money over the phone could stop the arrest. "They're going on to say, 'You've missed federal jury duty, and there's now a warrant for your arrest that was signed by one of the federal judges locally,'" the actual Sickler told the Mail Tribune. "I'm getting a lot of calls." Sheriff's department officials also reported the caller is asking victims to verify personal information. None of this is protocol for how deputies contact people who actually have warrants out for their arrests. "We will not generally call you to advise you have a warrant for your arrest," a posting on the department's Facebook page reads. "We will also not call to solicit money from you." Scammers assuming the names of cops is not a foreign concept to Rogue Valley law enforcement. In 2012, a local woman lost $6,000 to a scammer who utilized the name of Detective Sgt. Brent Mak — an actual financial crimes investigator for Medford police — in an elaborate scam where suspects convinced the woman she had won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes and just needed to pay state taxes on the prize. The phone number the current scammer is calling from is 541-205-8422, out of Klamath Falls. Sickler — again, the real one — said they are working on tracking the guilty party down. "We're going to try and investigate it just because it's an inconvenience to our citizens," he said. "People trust that when the police call it's for legitimate reasons." Anyone who receives a call from the number is asked to contact the sheriff's department at 541-774-6800. "We'll do whatever the law will allow us to do to make this kind of thing stop," Sickler said. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 3:51 PM Updated Sep 9, 2015 at 5:32 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501