Scammers are now using the guise of a sheriff’s deputy to extort people into immediately sending money to avoid arrest. According to Montgomery County Sheriff Darren M. Popkin, a phone scam currently going around the country has reached Montgomery County, Maryland residents.
A caller, falsely claiming to be from the sheriff's office, says that a warrant has been issued for your arrest that will be served unless, of course, you pay up.
“Montgomery County Deputy Sheriffs will never call and threaten to arrest you unless you immediately send an electronic payment,” said Sheriff Popkin. “Deputies will never ask you to place funds for payment on a pre-paid credit card to cancel an arrest warrant.”
The scammer may get specific by giving you his name and “official” rank. The caller might also request personal information so he can clear your name and cancel the mythical arrest warrant.
The scammers may tell their victims to go to a store, get a pre-paid credit card, load it up with money, and then call a phone number with the card information.
Several Montgomery County residents have been targeted. After getting several concerned calls from the public Sheriff Popkin assigned a security deputy to investigate the phony calls.
This scam may not be limited to Montgomery County only.
People can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft by never giving out any personal information when getting an unsolicited phone call. Giving out sensitive information over the phone — both personal and financial — can put people at risk for fraud.
If you have received a scam phone call from someone claiming to be a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Deputy or Montgomery County (Md.) Deputy Sheriff who is going to arrest you unless you immediately send money, contact the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office at 410-632-1111 or the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 240-777-7000. Please save any recorded messages, record the date and time of the phone call, the purported name of the caller, the call back number, and their phone number as displayed on caller ID.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
3 comments:
Next it will be Sheriff Lewis asking for money for his reelection campaign.
Next thing you know a scam app will be available to screen calls.Laugh all you want at that idea,but some US citizens direly lack common sense and good judgement.And it isn't JUST the elderly of whom I speak.All age groups seem vulnerable.The technology does exist to filter out the questionable phone calls and e mails,because most scam #s are already red flagged anyway.
I had a female stating she works for the attorney general. She asked if I used a payday loan called my cash now in 2009, she said they had video proof the I was going into my cash now, lol they are online the phone number was a 410 prefix and she said she was in salisbury. She asked me if we were an hour behind her. Lol again. My son gave me a printout of this scam verbatim what this thief was saying. I asked her to wait and my son in law called the Seaford police who sent an officer. Now I'm asking the person all kinds of questions she was really getting upset she transfered me to another "attorney" I asked this guy where he was calling from he said Georgia I said the other person told me she was on the eastern shore. He said oh you mean the Delaware. He said she was the manager of the Delaware. I said really, he said she opened that office a year ago.. I said this is a scam and I can prove it. He said let me get her back on the line she gets on the phone and her attitude turned evil defensive. I ask her if she would like to talk to the officer she said she would talk to her attorney the officer got on the phone and said this was a scam and he said do not call these folks again, she started a rant she was told to quit talking she didnt, he hung up on her. So if you get one of these bs scam calls check them on the internet. Then do what should be done per the author advises.
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