Sheriff issues scam warning after South County residents lose thousands of dollars

October 9, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Following a pair of cases in which victims lost thousands of dollars to scammers, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a scam targeting individuals in South County.

In both cases, the suspects contacted the victims claiming that a family member had been arrested and that money was urgently needed to cover bail and other legal fees. The suspects posed as lawyers or other legal representatives to make the situation appear legitimate, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

To further convince the victims, the suspects arranged for someone pretending to be the arrested family member to speak with them over the phone. The victims were then instructed to withdraw large amounts of cash from their bank accounts, place the money in a box and give it to a courier who arrived at their homes to collect it.

In the first case, the victim lost $16,000. In the second case, the victim lost nearly $10,000.

In both cases, the victims later contacted their actual family members and discovered they had never been arrested. By that time, the money was lost.

Sheriff’s officials say the scams rely heavily on fear, urgency and emotional manipulation. The suspects pressure the victims into acting immediately, often keeping them on the phone throughout the entire process to prevent them from contacting family members or law enforcement to verify the story.

The sheriff’s office reminds the public that law enforcement personnel will never call to ask for money for any reason. Anyone who receives a call claiming a loved one has been arrested and demanding immediate payment is instructed to hang up and contact the sheriff’s office directly to verify the status of their relative.

Warning signs for these types of scams include demand for immediate payment, requests for cash payments, pressure to remain on the phone and instructions to keep the situation secret.

The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is actively investigating both incidents to determine whether they are connected and whether this scheme has resulted in additional crimes.

Anyone who has experienced a similar scam or has information about these incidents is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Detective Division at (805) 781-4500.