Rowan officials warn residents there’s a scam cropping up where the caller tells residents they are with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office warrant division. The caller says the resident must pay almost $500 because they failed to show for jury duty.

Capt. John Sifford with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said the agency has had at least nine reports from people who say they received the same type of call. He made it clear the sheriff’s office does not have a warrant division.

He added that no one has actually fallen for the scam, but officials want to warn residents.

In the scam, the caller sometimes identifies himself as “Sgt. Myers” with the Sheriff’s Office and at other times he gives another name. Sifford said the names and titles are of real people who work at the office, but the caller is a fake.

“While the Sheriff’s Office may contact persons by phone to serve subpoenas, or inform persons of an outstanding criminal paper, the Sheriff’s Office never requests a person to obtain a prepaid card to be used in a criminal proceeding,” Sifford said.

The caller would tell the resident that in order to pay off the outstanding warrant they needed to go to Walgreens or CVS to buy a “money card” to include Green Dot, Money Pack, PayPal or Vanilla Network. The resident would then be instructed to get a $497 card or a $497.97 card.

Once the person buys the money card, they are instructed to read the numbers over the phone to the caller.

It is not clear as to why the caller asks the residents for the specified amount, Sifford said.

Both the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office and the SBI are investigating this case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Chad Moose at 704-216-8687.

In other sheriff’s reports:

• A woman reported on Monday someone used her credit cards from the 7000 block of Stokes Ferry Road.

• A woman reported on Monday someone broke into her home in the 100 block of Tanglewood Drive, Kannapolis.

• Someone stole items from a tractor parked in the 11800 block of Old Beatty Ford Road, Rockwell.

• A man reported on Monday his medication was stolen from the 1000 block of Red Oak Drive, Rockwell.

• A victim reported on Monday a fraudulent incident occurred in the 400 block of Pamela Street.

• A man reported on Monday he was the victim of a scam attempt in the 1700 block of Barringer Road.

• Small Animal Medicine and Surgery reported on Monday someone took copper tubing from an air conditioning/heating unit at the 3200 block of Sherill’s Ford Road.

• A woman reported on Monday she was the victim of a physical assault in the 1100 block of Ed Weaver Road.

• A woman reported on Monday someone stole her purse from her vehicle in the 700 block of Crescent Road, Rockwell.

• John Preston Harrity, 26, was charged on Monday with felony breaking and entering in the 1000 block of Lawndale Drive.

• Fabiola Morales Hernandez, 22, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor simple assault while at the Rowan County courthouse.

• Devonte Marckiece, 23, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon while at the Rowan County courthouse.

• Renee Jarvis Steele, 34, was charged on Monday with felony obtaining controlled substances by fraud or forgery while at the Rowan County courthouse.

• Consuella Latonia McMilliam 28, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor child abuse while at the Rowan Magistrate’s Office.

• Madison Denise Eaton, 16, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance schedule VI in the 700 block of Caorlyn Avenue, Kannapolis.

• Michael Lynn Bumgarner, 31, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor assault on a female in the 1000 block of Ed Weaver Road.

In police reports:

• A woman reported on Tuesday she was the victim of fraud in the 600 block of Statesville Boulevard.

• Kmart reported on Tuesday they were the victim of embezzlement in the 800 block of East Innes Street.

• A man reported on Tuesday a larceny occurred in the 400 block of Travis Lane.

• Edwin Donta Smith, 36, was charged on Tuesday with felony robbery with a dangerous weapon in the 300 block of West Jake Alexander Boulevard.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.