The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of calls being made to residents informing them that a warrant has been issued for their arrest for either an offense or failing to appear for jury duty, according to a news release.
The caller insists that if the fine is not paid immediately then they will be arrested and taken into custody.
It’s also been reported that the caller uses several names to identify himself. He is using the names of Wyandotte County deputies, the Sheriff, District Court judges and even going as far as to identify himself as a deputy or detective, according to the spokesman.
The caller asks the citizen to call back when they have the number of their pre-paid money card. They also have a voicemail setup so that when the victim calls back it identifies the Perpetrator as Deputies for the Sheriff’s office. Many of the calls also appear to be from a 913 area code.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office does not call citizens advising them of warrants, nor do they ask citizens to call back with a pre-paid card number, the spokesman said.
It appears that these phone calls are targeting mostly senior citizens at this time. Authorities are asking citizens not to follow any directions by these callers. Hang up and call the Sheriff’s Office to file a report at 913-573-2861.
The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities stated there have also been a series of phone scams targeting electricity customers. These scams involve telephone callers claiming to be from BPU and then using various techniques to defraud customers. Some threaten customers with disconnecting electric service to their home or business if they do not make a payment immediately. The scam artists sometimes instruct customers to send them money via a prepaid cash card before their power is shut off.
Signs of a scam
Always remember, often, scammers who operate by phone don’t want to give you time to think about their pitch; they just want you to say “yes,” the spokesman said. But some are so cunning that, even if you ask for more information, they seem happy to comply. They may direct you to a website or otherwise send information featuring “satisfied customers.” These customers, known as shills, are likely as fake as their praise for the company, the spokesman said.