21Investigates: Scam Tracker -- Allen County Sheriff’s Department impersonation scam
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A disturbing trend is picking up steam in Allen County. Just a few weeks ago, we told you about how phony police scams are becoming more common.
Leaders with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department say scammers are calling people pretending to be officers with the sheriff’s department. In fact, they use names of actual officers with the department.
Sgt. Adam Griffith says the scammer may ask you to pay a certain way, like through Venmo or by credit card, to pressure you to pay immediately. They may even try and take over your computer remotely and help you through a process. In some cases, people have fallen victim.
Griffith says they’ll never call you and ask for money. This is illegal, so he says whoever is behind this will be held responsible.
“We’ve had some people call in, I’ve had friends and family members that have experienced the same thing recently,” Griffith said. “So, we’d encourage them to block the caller or check with us if they need a little bit of reassurance.”
Griffith also says if you lost money, contact your bank quickly. At last check, the department doesn’t know who’s behind this.
If you have any information, they ask that you give them a call.
If you get scammed, here are some resources:
Do you have a scam you want us to look into? Reach out to 21Alive’s Tylor Brummett. You can send a message on Facebook or send an email to tylor.brummett@gray.tv.
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