The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office sends a scam alert targeting individuals with pending criminal charges. In a sophisticated con, scammers have masqueraded as officers to fleece unsuspecting victims, according to a report from WPXI. The scam involves forged documents and threats of arrests, which has already led to at least one victim losing $1,100.
A man who walked into the sheriff's office on Monday to turn himself in after speaking to someone who identified himself as "Deputy Washington," as detailed by CBS News, revealed that no officer with that name existed at the sheriff’s office. The victim was provided two fraudulent documents via text, a tactic officials confirmed as not part of their operating procedure.
The deceit didn't stop at forged papers. Included in the falsified messages were a QR Code and a Bitcoin kiosk address, which the victim was instructed to use for depositing what he was led to believe were necessary bond payments. By passing off a doctored court order, the criminals claimed the victim could circumvent arrest by simply transferring money into the abyss of a cryptocurrency kiosk. Despite the victim's cooperation, the sheriff's office confirmed they have never, and will never, solicit fines or payments electronically nor issue court documents in such an unofficial manner.
Authorities are using this distressing incident as a stern reminder. "The public, including criminal defendants, should be aware that our office will never seek to collect any fine or court payments over the phone or through an electronic funds transfer and will never transmit official documents via text message or discuss warrant information electronically," as the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office stated, according to WPXI. Sadly, the man who just wanted to follow the law was conned out of $1,100 with the electronic trace leading to dead ends, reflecting the cunning of these modern tricksters.
