Scammers posing as sheriff’s agents
Chartiers Township police are warning of a newly reported fraud operation in which scammers are posing as local sheriff’s department officials.
Mark Brigich of 90 Johnston Hill Rd., Canonsburg, reported to police Thursday a message was left about 5 p.m. in which the caller identified himself as a representative with the sheriff’s department and said there was a warrant out for Brigich’s arrest for unpaid fines totaling nearly $1,400. The caller’s phone number came up as the sheriff’s number (724-228-6840) on caller ID, and Brigich tried to contact the department after hours, but no one was available to take his complaint.
“They’ve been spoofing or masking their numbers somehow, and they get bounced around, or come from out of state,” said Detective Steve Horvath.
The caller on the masked number didn’t have a discernible accent but left a number to call back to settle “liens and outstanding fines,” Brigich said, according to police report documents. The number, with a New York City area code (917-503-3158), is found in multiple search engine and social media reports showing numerous complaints of fraud attempts and the caller’s ability to mask or duplicate local sheriffs’ numbers.
A La Salle County, Texas, Sheriff Department’s Facebook post from Oct. 8, 2015, documented similar attempts. The post said “scammers are cloning (the department’s) dispatch office number and calling area residents claiming that they have unpaid tickets and demanding they pay over the phone or have a warrant issued for their arrest.” The post is the oldest found report from police that the scam is happening across the nation and not just in local municipalities.
“Brigich said the caller told him he could call back that 917 number and settle for around $500 instead of the full $1,400. So these callers are playing games with your head and maybe banking on you getting scared and coughing up personal information. Don’t get personal info out over the phone – Social security, credit card, nothing – and call police,” Horvath said.
The Washington County sheriff’s office confirmed they’ve received reports of similar “cloning calls” and masked numbers from scammers.