Caller falsely claiming to be a deputy scammed Monroe County woman out of $9,500, police say
Authorities in Monroe County, Michigan, are alerting the public to a scam involving callers falsely claiming to be sheriff's deputies and demanding payments.
Both the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the Dundee Police Department provided reports on the investigation Tuesday, sharing details of how a Dundee woman lost over $9,500, along with recommendations on how to avoid becoming a victim of such a scam.
Dundee police said a caller who claimed to be a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy falsely told the local woman there was a federal warrant for her arrest for missing jury duty.
During the conversation, police said, the caller even provided a copy of what officers described as a "bogus arrest warrant" via text to the victim. The scammer convinced the woman to withdraw $9,500 and deposit the funds into a Bitcoin cryptocurrency machine in Carleton, which is also in Monroe County. The scammer told the woman that failure to follow directions or contact anyone ahead of time would result in her arrest.
After the money was deposited into the Bitcoin kiosk, the call was disconnected.
The woman then contacted family members along with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office to confirm that her bond money was received. Instead, she learned that the caller had impersonated a law enforcement officer and the transaction was fraudulent.
While Dundee officers were given a phone number, they said it was a "spoofed" number, unregistered, and likely untraceable.
Several other residents in Monroe County had also received calls on Tuesday where the man claimed to be a local deputy sheriff, Dundee police said.
Monroe County Sheriff's Office said while this incident involved a request for Bitcoin, there have been previous incidents where scammers who targeted Monroe County residents pretended to be law enforcement officers and demanded payments via gift cards or electronic cash transfer applications.
"The Dundee Police Department reminds everyone that law enforcement will NEVER demand bond money, cryptocurrency or gift cards for the immediate payment of anything!" the village police department said.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said anyone in Monroe County who believes they have been targeted by such a scam should call the Monroe County Central Dispatch non-emergency number at 734-243-7070. Those who live outside of Monroe County should contact their local police department or sheriff's office.
The Michigan Attorney General's Office also has tips on how to recognize a financial scam and report it to state authorities.