The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office is once again seeing phone scams occur within the county wherein callers identify themselves as federal or local law enforcement According to Sheriff David Cirencione, the suspects then tell the victims that there is a warrant for their arrest and an officer will be coming to their residence to take them into custody if they do not send payment to a specific location.
According to a release from the Sheriff’s Office, in one recent case, the suspects had what the victim described as Middle Eastern accents and identified themselves as members of the US Customs and Border Patrol. This victim was directed to deliver more than $15,000 cash to a Bitcoin Machine in Erie, PA. The victim was then called by another male who identified himself as the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, stating that he was sending a deputy to arrest her if she did not deliver the money. The victim’s caller ID showed “Ontario County” when this suspect called.
In another incident on Wednesday, a man called a female victim identifying himself as a sergeant with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect went on to state the victim had a warrant for failure to appear on a violation and she owed $50,000. She was instructed to pay 10% or $5,000 today.
While these scammers are becoming more elaborate in their tactics by using real law enforcement titles or names and spoofing their numbers to show as county government, we remind all of our residents that no law enforcement agency would call anyone who has a warrant out for their arrest and direct them to pay money to satisfy this charge. A warrant is a legal order from the court directing the in-person appearance of the subject named within.
Sheriff Cirencione said anyone who receives similar calls should refrain from sending any money and report the incident to 911.
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