Scam Alert: Fake Michigan Police Officers are Contacting Employers Registrants
Scammers pretending to be with Michigan State Police are preying on people on the state’s sex offender registry.
According to MSP, the scammers are calling employers of people who are on the registry, which are listed on offenders’ registry profiles. These scammers are trying to get personal information and payment for outstanding warrants and fees.
[FAC NOTE: This is a common scam that happens here in Florida. We try to post about it monthly to serve as a reminder warning to our members. Fortunately, if you are already familiar, you won’t get scammed. Unfortunately, there are 87,000 people on the Florida registry who are not members of FAC and the FDLE, despite being aware, does NOTHING to warn us. You’d think they could add an extra sentence to the 5 pages of registration paperwork they give us every few months, but no.]
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The newest iphone operating system now allows you to screen all unknown calls. It has to be turned on, but it will ask the caller to identify themselves and to state their reason for calling. Scammers will always hang up, and real callers will most often be willing to go through the screening process.
The best part about it is that your phone never rings unless the person is willing to submit to the screening process. It just provides a notification that you have a missed call for anyone who hangs up.
I got my first scam call the day after I gave my contact info by email to the Duval Chapter.
They said they were the Duval County “Police” I wasted their time and laughed at them. However, I do think there is a strong possibility that it was connected to the above.
There’s a sufficient basis that it’s a leak. That’s been FAC’s suspicion for a while. We don’t suspect it’s a leak from law enforcement, but from the software vendor, Offender Watch.
Pretty sad law enforcement’s software has so little protection that it allows even more crimes. Sadly, they seem to be geared mostly towards the most venerable, those on the registry. I almost puke when I hear someone on here got taken from the hard-earned money, because the registry was used to scammed them.
Since most of my family was in the military and law enforcement, when I got that call, I knew exactly what to do. I offered to meet them at the sheriff’s office. When they refused, I hung up on them. But it doesn’t end there, I got a text stating a warrant was then issued for my arrest. I waited a few days and checked with the sheriff’s office, and they told me I had no warrants and the caller was a fraudster.
For about 2 weeks I was on high alert, and watched my security cameras for notifications if I left the house.
It is not just about being gullible. It’s about being terrified and having family members traumatized. I had one who somehow got ahold of my son’s cell phone number and called him saying that there was a warrant because I didn’t do a DNA test. Sheriff’s office just blinked at me when I called to complain. Fortunately I was at home when they called my son. I told my son that law enforcement never asks for money. If there’s a warrant, they’re showing up on our doorstep unannounced with a FOX television crew.
There is a sign at our Sheriff’s registration office warning about the scam and telling us to report any calls to local law enforcement. I was there reregistering and told them I got one (my first one years ago) and I had notes from it (fake deputy name, phone number, etc) and the guy behind the counter literally said “who cares?”
He proceeded to say he gets spam calls all the time. Big difference between selling you solar panels and a “deputy” telling you there’s an arrest warrant out for you, especially if you didnt know about the scam before the call…
The problem is, law enforcement does not care if we get scammed. Almost all of us here in Florida have gotten some kind of call saying you are getting violated due a registry failure to register and they state it can be squashed by meeting them and paying the fine. Many fell for it, but since almost my entire family are in law enforcement or military, ( I was in both for a bit ) we all know a scam from a mile away.
One simple call to the sheriff’s department would confirm it is fake, but people keep falling for it. Not at all picking on them, but some are very gullible and do not know what to do. Let us all remember, not everyone on the registry go on F.A.C site, which is sad, because so much information is given to keep us safe, out of trouble, or to learn new laws and ordinances being enforced. As well as update giving us things we have won, and those we can try again next time after a denial.
Jack you are right. I remember the first time it happened like IDK 10 years ago? Maybe and I was panicked but thanks to FAC i knew what it was. Last time it happened it was like the day after I re registered. I just call the local sheriff who was very nice and gave them the name and number he put me on hold came back and said we have no one by that name and that number is not one of ours. It is posted on the Cyber online portal about the scams but not all of us use that internet. I have been doing this over 20 years now July will be report number 42. The only time I get a call is around 7:00/7:30 am from a unknown number. I answer say okay go out my front door wave, say Hi have a great day be safe and that is it. Twice a year usually end of march first of April and then end of September/early October.
The fact that this happens nationwide is a big reason why our info should either not be on there, pre 97’ers or it should be LEO only.
If they don’t get payment they get the registrants fired so it’s a win win for them… gets more “not” punitive by the minute
Obvious
That is ironic because I know a guy who I met while registering. He told me a funny story like the one above. Someone called asking for the owner stating that a registered person needs to pay a fine or be fired or even arrested.
He said OK, he would talk to the employee and hung up. The hilarious part is, HE is the sole owner and sole employee of the business. He did not tell the guy that because maybe then the guy would bash his business.
So, what he started doing was letting all his calls go to voicemail, and if it was from a customer, he would call them back, to avoid the jerk-fake cop and not fall for the scammer. I have only seen the guy once so do not have any follow up.
My sheriff’s office has so many registered persons that I rarely see the same one twice. The line is usually 30 or more minutes wait time, even when people show up before they open. I like to get there on the first day and as soon as they open to get it over and done with. Unfortunately, I am a 4 times a year registrant, so I have to do this every 90 days, which really does suck.
Jack sorry about the 4 times a year and I know you said on here before that they retro’d you to that.
I usually get there about 15 minutes before they open, I mean I am already nervures up about going so I am up early. Usually about a 10-minute wait, 3 minutes with the check in and on about my day. When I retire, I will not have any emails/identifiers what glorious day.
But July 13th is coming we need to pray for no delays, God’s favor, and a ruling for us. I dont think they will shut down FLSORNA, but they could let the pre 97 people off? IDK
Tearful
Also, we can only live life one day at a time. I try and make the best of my day every time I wake up. I do chores and keep myself busy until I wear myself out, otherwise I cannot sleep. I am always tinkering around the yard or in the garage working on or fixing something. Then later on in the evening I tinker on the computer to see if FAC has finally freed us from the registry. Maybe next time.
We have Vegas odds which are not in our favor, but still keeping a positive attitude as there is no use in letting the registry pukes ruin every day of our lives. I go about my day as if I am not on the registry, but am also aware there are places we cannot go, and things we cannot do. So have to have a balance, a plan and a positive outlook. Once I leave from registering, I put it in the past until the next time I have to show up for the rinse and repeat ritual of registering like Zombies.