In what seems to be an ongoing battle against grifters, the Lake County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning concerning a fresh racket that's been hoodwinking residents over the past several days. According to a social media post from the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Frank Leonbruno, callers have been impersonating a Sheriff's Office officer, specifically “Captain Bryan Bowen,” and falsely informing targets that they have outstanding warrants for their arrest.
Moving beyond mere scare tactics, these scammers have been using a “Caller ID Spoof” to forge phone numbers, making incoming calls appear as if they originate from local numbers, in some cases even masquerading as the Lake County Clerk of Courts Office. The sophisticated con doesn't end with a simple phone call; victims are also being sent counterfeit court documents via text message, bolstering the lie with sham evidence. After establishing this deceptive facade, the scammer demands payment via untraceable means, such as bitcoin or gift cards, to squash the non-existent warrants.
In their warning, the Lake County Sheriff's Office has made it clear that legitimate deputies, or any law enforcement official for that matter, would never resort to such extortionate tactics. "These phone calls are scams!" Leonbruno affirmed in a statement obtained by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Frank Leonbruno's official Facebook page. The Sheriff's Office is instructing those who receive these fraudulent calls to hang up immediately and report the incident to their local law enforcement agency.
