If you get a phone call threatening an arrest warrant if payment for a missed court fee is not made from someone that claims they work for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, hang up and don’t pay, Indiana authorities warn.
“THIS IS A SCAM,” the Lake County, Ind. sheriff’s department said in a statement. “We have taken several calls from members of the public complaining that they received similar calls and that the caller introduced themselves as a Lake County Sheriff’s Department police officer.”
The scammers demand between a few hundred dollars to several thousand, according to the sheriff’s department.
“They prey on people by forcefully demanding that the citizen pay through a funds transfer, the purchase of gift cards or even using bitcoin digital currency,” the sheriff’s department said.
Police in St. John, Ind. have also received reports of the same type of scam.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Department will never call and demand money to help you clear your name or avoid arrest,” the sheriff’s department said.
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