The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a phone-based fraud scheme that has been attempted in the area.
A unknown scammer is calling area residents using a phone number that appears to be local; the caller claims to be a sergeant with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, using the name of a current employee, claiming that the resident has a warrant for their arrest and requests the resident send or “wire” bond money. The caller is claiming deputies will come arrest the resident if they do not send the funds promptly.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office wants to alert residents that this is a scam and anyone receiving such a call should simply hang up on the caller. If their phone allows it, they can block the number. Generally these scammers will stop calling quickly if you refuse to speak with them. This particular scammer is currently calling from (517) 701-9077, and has a voice mail box set up misrepresenting the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. These phone numbers are easily generated over the internet and can change many times, and scammers will often use a different name or a different official-sounding agency to fit their needs and intimidate the person they are calling.
No legitimate government agency will ever request people to use money wire services such as Western Union, Money Gram, or Green Dot to send them funds.
If you ever receive a call from someone claiming to be a government official and you are concerned that they are not legitimate, you should call a published number for that agency and ask to be transferred to that officer to confirm their legitimacy. If you have vulnerable friends, neighbors or relatives who may be more susceptible to these crimes, teach them to never wire or send money to someone they do not know.
