Telephone Arrest Scams Continue to Hit Area

Telephone arrest scams are continuing to victimize people in the area and Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian has once again warned the public about the scams.

“Over the past several weeks, we have received multiple reports from residents alleging callers are once again fraudulently using the name of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office in attempts to scam them out of money,” said Koutoujian. “While we – and our law enforcement colleagues – have been warning residents about these arrest scams for months, perpetrators are showing no signs of letting up in their efforts to defraud taxpayers out of their hard-earned money.”

According to the Sheriff’s Office:

“In the most recent scams reported to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, fraudsters have either specifically identified themselves as deputies or, through a practice known as spoofing, managed to make it appear as though the call is being placed from a Middlesex Sheriff’s Office telephone line. In all of the cases the victims are threatened with arrest for failure to pay fictional debts or taxes due to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).”

“No legitimate law enforcement agency will ever threaten arrest over the phone, nor will they demand payment for debt over the phone,” said Koutoujian.

The sheriff recently hosted an episode of “Beyond the Badge” about the scams.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who receives the scam calls to contact the police department. If the scammer claims to work for the Sheriff’s Office, you should also report the crime to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit at 978-932-3220.