I am writing to alert our community to a sophisticated phone scam currently circulating in Santa Barbara. I experienced this firsthand.
I received a call from someone claiming to be with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The caller ID displayed the official number, which made the call appear legitimate. This is known as “caller ID spoofing,” a technique that allows scammers to make a call appear as though it is coming from a trusted local number, even when it is not.
I was told that I had missed a required court appearance as an expert witness and that there was a serious legal matter requiring immediate action. The caller referenced my background in the healthcare field and stated that, due to HIPAA regulations, further details could not be disclosed.