In Washington County, a resident was targeted in a scam attempt last Thursday, with the caller posing as the sheriff himself, purportedly to address "fraudulent documents in Michigan." The deception was revealed in a social media post from the Washington County Sheriff's Office detailed the deceptive practice, urging residents to remain vigilant against such scams.
The impersonator first contacted the resident from the number 262-381-4921. After encountering skepticism, they called back using a more convincing number, 262-335-4411, which is in fact registered to the Washington County Emergency Communications Center. As part of the scam, the caller urged the individual to search the number online to confirm its legitimacy. However, when the resident asked for the sheriff’s badge number, the impersonator responded with a fabricated five-digit number.
According to the Sheriff's Office, there are important reminders for citizens to help guard against these fraudulent schemes. Notably, legitimate law enforcement will never call to demand immediate action or request personal information over the phone. Enhancing the deceptive nature of these scams, criminals can "spoof" caller ID, making it seem as though the call is coming from a trusted or official number. In this case, the scammer even attempted to reinforce the call’s credibility by encouraging the resident to verify the number online.
Individuals who receive similar calls are advised to hang up and contact the Sheriff's Office using a verified number. The Sheriff's Office acknowledged the resident’s response and clarified that Sheriff Martin Schulteis—who is actively "Sheriffing"—does not make unsolicited calls requesting personal information. It also confirmed that the sheriff’s official badge number is 401, not the fabricated "12345" provided by the caller.
