Credit: Tom Sofield/NewHopeFreePress.com
The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about an ongoing scam in which callers impersonate sheriff’s deputies, threaten potential victims and demand money, sometimes while using the names of actual law enforcement officers and spoofing official phone numbers.
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The warning comes as authorities across the region continue receiving reports of law enforcement impersonation scams, including a recent case in Montgomery County in which a Skippack Township woman reported losing $4,200 through Apple Cash to someone posing as a representative of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Pennsylvania State Police said the theft was reported Aug. 4 by a woman on the 4200 block of North Gorski Lane in Skippack Township.
In Bucks County, sheriff’s officials said scammers are calling residents and falsely claiming to be deputies before using aggressive or threatening language to pressure victims into providing personal information or making payments.
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The callers may have done their homework.
According to the sheriff’s office, scammers have used the names of actual Bucks County deputies to make their stories appear legitimate. They can also manipulate caller ID so the incoming call appears to originate from the Sheriff’s Office.
In some instances, calling the spoofed number back can lead victims to a fake voicemail system or someone pretending to work for the department.
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The sheriff’s office said that it will not call or email residents demanding money, nor will deputies ask someone to make a payment over the phone or through email. The office also does not issue federal warrants or jury warrants by phone or email.
Bucks County officials have previously warned that scammers can produce convincing fake warrants and use threats of arrest or other legal consequences to pressure victims into acting before they have time to question the demand.
Authorities said residents should immediately be suspicious if a purported law enforcement officer demands payment through Bitcoin, gift cards or a kiosk at a grocery store, Walmart or other retail location.
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Pennsylvania financial regulators identify demands for cryptocurrency, gift cards, wire transfers or payment apps as major warning signs of a scam, particularly when paired with threats of arrest or pressure to act immediately.
Residents receiving a suspicious call can ask for the caller’s name, badge number and specific department, but should then hang up and independently obtain the agency’s official telephone number rather than calling a number provided by the caller or relying on caller ID.
The verified main number for the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office is 215-348-6124, according to the county.
Sheriff’s officials stressed that a person cannot pay law enforcement to make a warrant disappear.
Anyone who believes they have lost money through the scam or otherwise been victimized by fraud should contact their local police department to make a report.
The sheriff’s office urged residents not to allow threats or a seemingly legitimate caller ID to rush them into sending money or revealing personal information.
“If you receive such a call, it is a scam,” the office said.
