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CLEVELAND COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – Phone scam cases are on the rise in Cleveland County, according to authorities.

The fraud cases involve the suspect requesting the purchase of gift cards to resolve an outstanding warrant, according to Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office officials.

The suspects are contacting community members by phone, spoofing the Sheriff’s Office’s main telephone number and using the names of current employees to scam them into buying gift cards to prevent being arrested on a supposed outstanding warrant.

“We want our citizens to know we will never call you to ask for any form of payment over the phone,” Sheriff Chris Amason said. “Additionally, we do not call individuals to inform them of their warrant status.”

Call the Sheriff’s Office at (405)-701-8916 if you live in Cleveland County and are targeted or victimized by a scam.