HCSO warns of phone scammer claiming to be from Public Defender's office

The Humboldt County Public Defender Office is located at 1001 4th Street in Eureka and  the phone number is (707) 445-7634. HCSO press release posted below has details about the scam.

HCSO Press Release:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has recently received reports of a phone scam targeting our community.

As part of this scam, the caller claims they are from the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office and tells the victim that a family member has been arrested. The scammer instructs the victim to wire money in order for the Public Defender’s Office to represent their family member and/or get them out of custody.

The Sheriff’s Office would like the community to know that this is a scam. The Humboldt County Public Defender's Office will never require or request funds for representation.

Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.