Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno is issuing a warning against responding to phone solicitations by people claiming to be associated with the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office.

Recently, according to a press release, the sheriff's office received a complaint from a doctor whose wife received a call from a group hired by a union from the sheriff's office. The solicitor said he was a sheriff's officer and claimed that the doctor's office had some security problems. The doctor called back with concern, only to find out it was a solicitor asking for a contribution to the union.

"This type of solicitation and misrepresentation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Guadagno said. "Acts such as this should be reported to the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which is authorized to prosecute cases on a county basis, the Division of Consumer Affairs, which is authorized to investigate state offenses, or to the Federal Trade Commission, which is the federal agency authorized to investigate consumer offenses nationwide."

Guadagno said the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office does not make phone calls for contributions of any kind. It does not authorize

the solicitation of contributions for any union. She said the office will aggressively investigate such scams and pursue all avenues of complaints on the criminal side and the civil side.

"Unfortunately, this is not the first complaint I have received about such scams," Guadagno said. "We cannot stop the unions from soliciting contributions, as long as they follow the attorney general's guidelines, but we can educate the public about fraud."

In the event a person is called, the sheriff issued these guidelines:

• You are not being rude, you are being shrewd when you simply hang up.

• Beware of offers to "help." Be wary of callers saying they are law enforcement officers who will help in any way "for a fee."

• Don't be afraid to say "no thanks" and hang up the phone.

• If you don't want a business to call you again, say so. If they call back, they're breaking the law.

• Put yourself on the federal "do not call list." The toll free telephone number is 1-888- 382-1222.

According to the press release, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office will report all fraudulent conduct to the appropriate agency. Call 732-431-7139 to make a complaint.