A familiar scam in which callers claim to be law enforcement with arrest warrants lest the person pay them over the phone — often with store-bought gift cards — is once again being reported in Monroe County.
Scammers often claim to be people of authority or law enforcement — they often impersonate Sheriff Rick Ramsay — and falsely claim they need information from residents to squash an arrest warrant or quell some criminal matter, all of which are lies. They often use real Sheriff’s Office phone numbers in their deceit.
To all residents: If you receive a phone call/text/email from someone purporting to be law enforcement or some other legal professional claiming one of your family members has been arrested, hang up immediately and call that person to verify the claim. Odds are you are being scammed.
Be particularly weary if the caller asks for gift card information. This is a sure sign you are being scammed.
Residents should never give personal, monetary or gift card information over the phone — TO ANYONE REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY CLAIM TO BE!
Government agencies do not operate in this manner.
Anyone with information about any crimes should contact the Sheriff's Office at 305-292-7000. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-471-8477.
Tipsters can remain anonymous and if a tip leads to an arrest in the case, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips may also be submitted online at www.floridakeyscrimestoppers.com or via a text message using the smartphone app called P3 Phone. Tips can also be submitted via social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the @CrimeStoppers305 hashtag.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/floridakeyssheriff/posts/pfbid02WGeCC87YnptAs2YK7xtYpVvvEGRveToAhdRD4RZmcrbgVdvNLh1TLuTKoM7KwAZWl
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