Officials are warning residents about a new phone scam from someone who is posing as a Kentucky sheriff’s deputy retrieving money for unpaid fines.

The Harlan County Sheriff’s Office is issuing an alert to make community members aware of the scam that is circulating in the Harlan County area.

The Sheriff’s Office has received reports from local residents stating that they received a call from an individual claiming to be Deputy Stephen Davenport with the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office. The Harlan County Sheriff’s Office does not employ anybody by that name. The law enforcement impersonator implies that the person called has active warrants or unpaid fines and they can rectify the situation by sending payment with prepaid cards.

Several callers have reported receiving a call from 606-266-7673 and when calling the number back, the voicemail on the line states that you’ve reached the personal line for Deputy Davenport. This is not a number that is used by the Sheriff’s Office.

We are also aware of one occasion where the scammer spoofed the Sheriff’s Office phone number to make calls. Spoofing technology allows scam artists to trick Caller ID into displaying false information.

The Harlan County Sheriff’s Office or any other legitimate law enforcement agency does not call individuals and demand or request money from community members under any circumstances. Never provide your personal information, banking information or pay any fee (prepaid gift cards) to anyone over the phone.

The Sheriff’s Office is actively working to attempt to determine the true identity of the individual making the calls.