The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office is issued a warning after receiving repeated reports of area residents being called by individuals claiming to be the the Sheriff's Department asking for money, threatening arrest if immediate payment is not made.

The scammers are able to make it appear that the call is originating from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff Office main phone line (269-383-8821). Once they make contact, they claim that they will arrest the citizen or their loved ones for unpaid traffic tickets, missed jury summons, missed child support, or other offenses unless an immediate payment is made across the phone, via gift card, phone card, or a website they will provide.

This is part of a nationwide scam, with the scammers posing as the local law enforcement agency or a federal agency (such as the IRS, FBI, etc).

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, IRS, FBI, and other agencies will never contact you demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest or ask you to visit a specific website to make payment.

If you receive one of these scam phone calls, do not provide them with any information and do not follow their instructions to visit a 3rd party website. Simply hang up the phone.

 

If you were duped and provided the scammer with information, contact your local police agency to file a report. Victims can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center HERE.

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