Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran issued a warning to residents after alerting them to a rise in scam calls from individuals impersonating law enforcement officials.
According to Harran, his office has been “inundated with calls” from citizens duped into thinking they are in legal trouble and must pay to avoid arrest.
The scammers have used caller ID spoofing technology to make it appear that the calls are coming from the sheriff’s office.
Victims reported being falsely informed they missed a court date and could rectify the situation by paying a fine, typically requested in the form of gift cards, Harran said.
The sheriff recounted a recently incident involving a woman who, believing she was speaking to a deputy, and was on her way to deliver money.
“I had a woman who was on her way to my office, a two hour drive, to pay us $7,000 because she got a call from who she thought was a sheriff’s deputy, they actually used my name in the phone call. We do not call you for payments and we do not ask you for gift cards on the phone. That’s not how we work,” Harran said.
Harran stressed that his office does not ask for money over the phone to settle warrants.
If there is a legitimate issue requiring a resident’s attention or a warrant, deputies will handle it in person.
“If my office is seeking you, we will come to you,” he said.
The longtime lawman advised residents to never give money to anyone over the phone or agree to meet someone to make a payment.
With the holiday season underway, Harran also urged the public to remain vigilant while shopping to avoid being robbed or conned.
The Federal Trade Commission has the below tips to avoid being scammed:
Four Signs That It’s a Scam
1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations.
They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer.
Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.
They often insist that you can only pay by using cryptocurrency, wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, using a payment app, or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card.
Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money.
How To Avoid a Scam
Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
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