Sheriff Danos warns of scams, funeral-targeting fraud and reckless driving on private property

Sheriff Mark Danos warned listeners that scammers are exploiting funeral notices and other personal information to target households, and he urged residents to verify suspicious calls rather than pay demands.

Danos said callers have reported an $8,800 loss when an older relative was targeted, and he cautioned that scammers often data-mine obituary notices and call families pretending to be funeral homes seeking payment. "Please be careful when you write obituaries for loved ones because people are scanning through all of that, doing data mining," he said.

He also described a string of highway-toll and government-warrant scams and said callers who pressure people to pay are likely fraudulent. "When they're trying to keep you on the phone... the government's not gonna call you until they have a warrant. They're gonna come knocking your door and then show action behind that," Danos said. He encouraged residents to call the Sheriff's Office to verify suspicious demands.

Separately, Danos recounted an incident at a Valero where a motorist narrowly missed hitting his vehicle and complained, telling the sheriff "no crash, no crime." Danos said that is incorrect and emphasized that Arizona state law requires drivers to exercise due regard even on private property; reckless driving on private property can be a crime. He noted the office generally does not enforce civil registration requirements on private property but that dangerous driving remains subject to enforcement.

The sheriff urged patience with traffic disruptions and emphasized community safety: verify suspicious calls, report potential fraud, and slow down in parking lots and work zones.