Firefighters don’t sell insurance.
Scammers have been posing as representatives of the Sedona Fire District in an attempt to extort payment for medical services and sell “medical insurance,” SFD warned residents on April 2.
“The scammer didn’t compromise any of our internal systems, but they did copycat one of our legitimate phone numbers and were calling around trying to sell insurance products,” SFD Fire Chief Ed Mezulis said. “We don’t sell any products other than at our front desk, we sell some T-shirts but we’re not in the insurance business, that’s for sure.”
Mezulis said several residents had informed SFD of the scam in the week leading up to its alert, but that no one reported losing money, nor did anyone identify the scammers’ country of origin or the type of payment they were requesting.
“When in doubt, call our main line and get confirmation, but we’ll never go out and solicit anything from our public,” Mezulis said. “We’re not going to call you out of the blue. We won’t be asking for some type of payment or your personal information.”
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office volunteer fraud investigator Ron Norfleet said he has received no reports of scammers posing as fire agencies in the county. However, he noted that scammers impersonating law enforcement officers and demanding payment for alleged missed jury duty dates have been a persistent problem he has documented for nearly three years.
“Scammers place calls or send emails representing themselves as law enforcement and threaten fines, fees and jail time for individuals who missed jury service,” the Maricopa County Superior Court warned in an April 9, 2025, press release. “They may also give people a fake law enforcement badge number and case number. Their motive is to create a sense of urgency and panic, pressuring people to respond quickly and provide personal information and money.”
The Federal Trade Commission ranked Arizona fourth among states hit hardest by government agency imposter scams in 2024, with residents losing roughly $766 million through fraudulent calls and payment apps, which is part of an estimated $2.95 billion lost nationwide. Additionally over $400,000 was lost from residents and visitors to scammers, as reported to the Sedona Police Department in 2025, according to a previous NEWS investigation.
The SFD recommends that if you receive a call like this, you should not provide any personal, financial or medical information. If the call seems suspicious, hang up immediately. You may contact the YCSO Fraud Department at (928) 771-3299 if you have been defrauded or suspect a call was a scam.
