Phone scams have been around for years. Traditionally, these scams targeted the elderly, recent immigrants, and those who speak English as a second language. A new version of an already existing scam has become so widespread that local police departments are developing awareness and urging the public to stay alert. These costly "fake warrant scams" are sweeping the globe, and could target you next. Here's how to identify and respond to fake warrant scams.
Fake Warrant Scams 101
Like previous scams, this scam is similar to debt collection scams where a caller identifies themselves as an IRS employee, stating the recipient of the phone call owes a significant debt. In a new twist, this scam instead involves a caller stating he or she is with the Sheriff’s Office and has a warrant for the arrest of the call recipient for failure to report to Jury Duty as summoned. The scammer may provide a false name and badge number of an officer to intimidate the victim. The fake officer will advise the victim that the matter can be handled “civilly” or “criminally”, but if the individual elects to pay a civil fine, there will be no arrest. The caller will give instructions on using a pre-paid debit card from a major bank. The caller will go as far as to give the names of stores where these pre-paid cards can be purchased. If the victim were to be fooled into complying with the scammer's request, they are given a callback phone number where the payment can be made. Some scammers have been known to send a taxi cab to drive you to the store to make the purchase of the pre-paid cards.
How to Spot the Scam
Real law enforcement officers that are familiar with these cases want the public to know that law enforcement agencies will not tell people to provide any monetary information to avoid arrest. It is further warned that even if the scammer has your name or some knowledge about you, you should not provide any personal identification such as state of birth or social security number. If you receive this type of scam phone call, try to gather as much information as possible, including name, the phone number given, any location if given, and report them to your local police department.
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