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Scammers are impersonating law enforcement officers 

 

POLK COUNTY—Polk County Sheriff’s Office recently released a statement warning the public of multiple incidents of fraudulent phone calls, where scammers are impersonating deputies and demanding payment to avoid arrest.

The scammers are calling targeted victims and making a claim that they have a warrant for the victims’ arrest for a minor infraction like a traffic violation or missed jury duty. The scammers will then threaten arrest if the victims don’t pay a fee and will even provide instructions on how to submit a payment. 

Some forms of payment may include meeting the scammer at a planned location with a cash payment or paying over the phone, officials say. 

“You will never receive a phone call informing you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest and that you must pay money to avoid arrest,” said Sheriff Tim Wright on Tuesday. “Those matters are handled through paper documentation usually served in person by a uniformed deputy or officer.”

In the statement, a list of tactics scammers may use were provided, such as disguising a contact phone number to mimic a local government agency and providing fake warrant documents to victims’ emails. 

The sheriff’s office also warned victims to never agree to meet someone at an unfamiliar address, especially someone who is demanding cash payments.

If you think you may be a targeted victim of these scams, contact your local law enforcement’s non-emergency line to report the call.