ALERT: Montgomery County Phone Scammers 'Threaten' Victims, Demand Cash

Scammers alleging to be ”ranked officers” with the local sheriff’s office are calling residents across the Montgomery County area and demanding cash, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office warned in a release.

The scammers attempt to intimidate residents by threatening them with arrest due to a failure to report to a grand jury hearing.

They then are told they must pay a fine of $1,500 in order to revoke the warrant for their arrest. They demand the resident’s PayPal account number or a personal credit card number.

The scam is easy to spot. None of these practices would ever be used by real law enforcement agencies.

“The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office never handles money over the phone and doesn’t call citizens unless a warrant has already been issued,”Sheriff Russell Bono said. “If you get a call like this, please do not give out any of your personal information.”

The sheriff’s office offers residents the following tips to stay safe from scams:

• Never provide personal or financial information by phone when receiving calls unless the resident personally knows the caller.
• Note the telephone number of the caller from the caller ID.
• Document conversations of suspicious calls.
• Disconnect the call without providing any personal or financial information.

Victims of this crime should immediately call their local police department or the Montgomery County Detectives Unit at 610-278-3368 to report the incident.