The Latest Scam: Impersonation of Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Deputies

Barbara EJ Bennett | Larimer County Sheriff’s Office

Scammers today are learning how to go around the barriers to get money!  PLEASE be very alert – law enforcement will NEVER ask you to pay for a warrant over the phone, with gift or money cards, or any other methods. Nor will they call you to let you know you have a warrant – if you really did – they would just show up!  They don’t make appointments for arrests!

The scammer may use the real names of deputies, sergeants, lieutenants, etc.  They may use jargon like “10:4” to make you think they are real officers. They also give you what to say if the clerk asks why since the scammer knows businesses are getting wise and will ask customers if they are buying over a certain amount, or if they are still on the phone with the scammer. The scammer also makes you afraid to go to law enforcement since you will be arrested on sight. They target people who are less likely to be familiar with warrants, have limited interaction with law enforcement, and possibly have their reputation damaged if they were arrested.

Here are some of the ways the scammers are getting money out of Larimer County Residents:

• Caller identifies himself as Sergeant XYZ from Larimer County Sheriff’s Office; States you missed a court date and now have a warrant for your arrest and a second warrant for contempt of court totaling anywhere from $1,500 to $8,000. You are under a gag order to not talk to anyone about this situation.
• You must come up with a password – give it to the caller, put your phone in your pocket so the clerks don’t see it, buy the cards and give the password and codes on the back of the cards to the caller when you return to your car with the cards.  If the clerk asks why – tell them it’s for personal use.
• You cannot “step foot” on any government property until you send the money they are requesting – if you do, you will be arrested and held for three days in jail.
• Directed to go to Wal-Mart or Target to get a “voucher” (money/gift card) to pay the bonds and get released from the hold on not stepping foot on any government property. Once paid, you can to the Sheriff’s Office and compare the signature on the subpoena you had allegedly signed.
• If the signatures do not match, you will get your money back.
• Victim requests to speak to the sergeant’s supervisor.
• “Lieutenant XYZ” identifies himself as his supervisor and confirms this is real.

Barbara EJ Bennett is Chief Scambuster at Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. For more information go to Larimer.org.