The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Sheriff issues scam alert: Callers request money to dismiss arrest warrant
NORRISTOWN >> Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Montgomery County Sheriff Sean P. Kilkenny are alerting the public to a phone scam that has returned to our area where the perpetrator impersonates a Montgomery County sheriff.
In the call, the scammer tells the resident that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for failing to show up for jury duty, but they can avoid arrest by providing payment to the sheriff’s department. These scam phone calls are being received in the county at this time, and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau is actively investigating this scam.
“Montgomery County residents need to know that arrest warrants are never handled in this manner,” said District Attorney Steele. “No money is involved if there is a warrant issued for someone’s failure to appear in court for jury duty or for any other reason. A failure to appear warrant must be handled in a courtroom in front of a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Anyone who has gotten one of these calls should alert Montgomery County Detectives
that they received this scam phone call.”
The typical pattern for these scam phone calls is the scammer will call from a spoofed (fake) phone number that looks like it is coming from the local Montgomery County area code of 610. The scammer will identify themselves as a “Sergeant” with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department.
He will address the resident who answers the phone by name and will know the resident’s address and other information, which makes the call seem legitimate to the recipient. The scammer will tell the resident that there is a current arrest warrant — or an arrest warrant is in the process of being issued — for their failure to appear in Court, such as failing to appear for jury duty, and tells them that the warrant can be dismissed by paying a fee.
The scammers have been citing anywhere from $900 to $2,500 as the required fee. The scammer then says the best and fastest way to get rid of the warrant is to pay that amount of money in gift cards or prepaid debit cards. The resident is then asked to relay the numbers of the gift cards/ debit cards to the “sheriff” on the phone and is asked to remain on the line until the card information is verified.
“Our personnel are deputy sheriffs, not sergeants, and they do not operate in this manner,” said Sheriff Kilkenny. “Sheriff personnel will never call a resident to demand money to satisfy a warrant or demand money for any reason.”
If someone receives this scam call or message and is worried that it may be legitimate, he or she can call the main Courthouse phone number of 610-2783000 and ask for the Sheriff’s Department. Calling the courthouse’s main number and then being transferred to the Sheriff’s Department will avoid any issue of spoofed numbers.
Anyone who has been a victim of one of these calls and turned over the money to the fraudster is asked to contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368 to speak to a detective.