WCSO: Beware of email and phone scams

submitted by Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) has been alerted to increased activity in our region involving phone and email scams. Scammers have been contacting people and telling them they have a warrant or that their loved one is in jail and instructing them to make a payment to remove the warrant or assist their loved one.

This is a SCAM. The offenders behind these scams use digital technology that may look like legitimate law enforcement information or claim to be law enforcement themselves, making their requests seem credible. Scammers usually require the recipient to send money, purchase gift cards, or use other financial methods, and often threaten that failure to comply will result in arrest, detention, or additional fines.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer saying that you have warrants, owe money, missed a court date/jury duty, or that a loved one is in jail DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION and DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING OVER THE PHONE. Hang up and call us directly.

We remind the public that the Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement officers will never contact you demanding payment. Don’t fall for it, it’s a scam!

If you receive a questionable call:

• RESIST the pressure to take immediate action. Any urgency for payment is a red flag.
• Do not engage in conversation, as scammers may record your response.
• Do not provide your credit card number, bank account information, Social Security number, or any other personal information to a caller.
• Do not send money if a caller tells you to wire money, pay with a prepaid debit card, or transfer funds to a Bitcoin account.
• Do not travel to any location the caller may instruct you to go to. Gift card scams are commonly used for this, as well as fake “shopper” payment programs.

Please note, scammers can be very convincing, and some can “spoof” known and legitimate law enforcement phone numbers. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and contact Metro Dispatch.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office encourages the community to verify all phone and email communications demanding money or information that claim to be from the Sheriff’s Office or law enforcement by contacting Metro Dispatch at 734-994-2911 or dialing 911.

Sheriff Dyer states, “Please do not provide any personal or financial information to these scammers; law enforcement does not EVER demand money to resolve warrants or to get someone out of jail; these are SCAMS and should be immediately reported by directly calling our metro dispatch line. Holiday scams also increase this time of year; when in doubt, remember if there’s urgency to you making a payment on the phone, or by email, STOP, this is a red flag, and you can always call the police by contacting metro dispatch yourself at 734-994-2911 to verify any information provided.”

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.