The Mono County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a scam involving emails that appear to come from county officials but are actually attempts to collect fraudulent payments.
According to the sheriff’s office, the scam emails closely resemble official communication, using manufactured Mono County letterhead and imitating legitimate email addresses.
The messages are aimed at people currently doing business with the county and create a false sense of urgency by demanding immediate wire transfers for supposed County services.
While Mono County may occasionally send invoices by email, officials clarified that any such emails are expected and will always come from addresses ending in @mono.ca.gov or @monosheriff.org.
Important to note, Mono County does not accept wire transfers for business transactions.
“Always look closely at any email that seems suspicious or creates a false sense of urgency,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Do not click on links or open attachments from senders you do not know. If in doubt of a sender’s authenticity, call the office directly by using legitimate directories posted on Mono County’s official website: monocounty.ca.gov.”
Anyone who received one of these emails and submitted a payment is urged to report the incident to the Mono County Sheriff’s Office at 760-932-7549, option 7.
