Have you received a call claiming a warrant has been issued for your arrest? At first, the call may sound convincing, but in reality, you wonder why you are receiving this call because you have “never been in trouble with the law.”
Nowadays Scammers spoof, or disguise, their caller ID, which allows them to make the call appear to be a legitimate local police, sheriff, or other law enforcement agency telephone number.
The Avalon Sheriff’s Station receives calls from residents and island visitors reporting that they received these types of telephone calls.
They often ask if they should make payment to the unknown caller. Do not pay them. It is a scam. The Sheriff’s Department will never ask you to pay anything over the telephone.
The caller will advise you there is an outstanding warrant out for your arrest, and to avoid criminal charges they will request payment of a fine, then the warrant will be dismissed.
Thieves will demand immediate payments via Western Union, MoneyGram, or buying a prepaid credit card (Green Dot cards) and registering it online.
Here are some of the things to look out for if you receive a call:
• Law Enforcement Agencies will not make notifications of warrants via phone.
• These scammers will demand payment of these fees via prepaid gift cards, MoneyGrams, or other online payment system.
• Scammers will try to bully and intimidate you when questioned about their call.
• Some of these scams threaten you by stating police are on their way to arrest you if you don’t comply on paying a fee.
Avalon Sheriff’s Station Commander Capt. John Hocking said, “If you find yourself in a store buying a gift card for someone you do not know because you received a telephone call or an email, do not do it. It is probably a scam. If you think you might have a warrant, call the court and handle it through the court.”
Ultimately, please note that law enforcement agencies will not call you and direct you to make payment over the phone utilizing gift card payment systems.
Capt. John Hocking is commander of the Avalon Station of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
