Greg's Corner

New arrest warrant scam shocks police

By Greg Collier

There’s a new version of the arrest warrant scam going around in Florida that local police say is so advanced they may not ever catch the scammer. In a typical arrest warrant scam, the scammer calls their victim to tell them they have a warrant out for their arrest, but the victim can resolve the warrant by making a payment over the phone. These scammers will often spoof the phone number of the local police department to make the scam more convincing. Now, at least one scammer has virtually perfected the scam.

In this instance, the scammer is posing as a county sheriff’s office when calling their victims, including the spoofed phone number. Victims are told they have a warrant out for their arrest, which carries a $50,000 bond. But for $5000 the victim can avoid arrest and be given a court date instead. Then, their $5000 will be refunded to them.

The best scams have a kernel of truth to them, and this one is no exception. When someone is arrested, and needs to post bail, a bail bondsman will often accept 10% of the bond as payment.

However, the scammer didn’t stop there. Not only did the scammer use the name of an actual police officer from that sheriff’s department, but they also sent victims realistic looking arrest warrants. The scammer also had a police scanner playing in the background.

One potential victim, who is a former sheriff’s office employee, told the scammer to have the dispatch desk call him back. The scammer called back, spoofing the number of the dispatcher desk.

As with most police impersonation scams, a little bit of knowledge can keep you from losing money. No legitimate law enforcement agency, department, or office will ever ask for money over the phone. Police do not call people who have an arrest warrant. Instead, they will go to see the suspect in person before making an arrest.

If you ever receive a phone call like this, no matter how realistic it might sound, hang up, and call your local police department at their non-emergency number. They’ll be able to tell you if you’re being scammed.