The Scamming Continues
Yesterday we got 3 notifications that they were scam targets. One would think that with enough complaints the FDLE would take measures to track these scammers down, but apparently they don’t.
This was from a member:
I wanted to let you know about a scam that has been targeting registrants. Recently I got a call from someone pretending to be a deputy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office. They claimed that I had not registered, even though I had, and there was a warrant out for my arrest. I could avoid this by staying on the phone with them and going to purchase $750 worth of Google Play Gift Cards and send them money via that way. I knew then that this was not a real deputy and just a scammer. This is not real in any way and is a scam targeting SO’s. I thought I should alert you all so you could potentially get the word out and protect others from getting scammed in such a way.
All the best!
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Please please please
If you are on the registry, get an “UNPUBLISHED” phone #. I do not otherwise know how they are getting your phone #’s
Everyone on here I have asked who had one of those calls stated their phone # was listed in the directory. I only have a cell phone and it is not a published #. If I got one of those calls I would know who gave it out, Law enforcement. But that hasn’t happened.
If I am wrong about that, then there is something way more sinister going on then. But no worries, it is all ok because the courts say NONE of this is punishment so carry on as usual. Snacks are available in the lobby.
I think scammers also tie an address with a phone number, even if your official number isn’t listed. Some PFRs stay with relatives who may have THEIR numbers published.
They are probably cross referencing a pilfered list from a commercially hacked source to the public addresses on the registry, then calling the number associated with that person.
You are right – all of my cell phones are unlisted except with the sheriffs office. Hmmm?????? And yet they called mine, my mothers and my sisters all trying the same BS stuff. And when you complain they say they know about it but cant do anything about it. I mean maybe it’s not impersonating after all? Hmmm????
you know its a scam the moment they call you to say there is a warrant out for your arrest. If there was an arrest warrant, they wouldnt call you – they would just come over and arrest you. I don’t know whats worse, people doing that or the fact that people fall for it.
Kevin
I would not say never. When I first got arrested they got me. The second time I was not home but they kept calling me to meet with me. Of course you are right they did not say I had a warrant but that call stating I needed to meet with them triggered me calling my lawyer. He verified I had an active warrant (Prosecutor added more charges because I had bonded out, oldest trick in the book)
Anyway, my defense told me to get the money, pay the same bondsman and he would walk me through the process. After that my lawyer called the judge to force them to stop holding back charges like a 5 year old not getting her way.
So I did get the call they were looking for me, just had to be keen to why. Also it helped that they knew I was most likely not a flight risk.
Can’t be Ron Book. He’d ask for a whole lot more than $750. I wonder if Grady Judd is hurting for money.
Detroit
As much as we depise a lot of those people, even they would not put their careers and freedom on the line to scam offenders. They may enjoy making our lives misrable, but for the most part legally. Often they cross the line (As far as we are concerned) but I think it is professional scammers.
I still cannot believe that old people are still getting scammed with the old “Grandma this is your grandson, I need you to bail me out” routine. There was a lady on our news just a couple of months back that met the scammers in person twice. When she went to do it a third time, the UPS man (or some other delivery person) realized what was happening and called the police.
I had a call come in from an actual detective trying to verify my address and I couldn’t verify the number, so I ended up calling the sheriff’s office to verify. Of course I was concerned because the detective showed up at my house minutes after I hung up and didn’t seem to be wearing anything identifying himself as an officer. Once it was verified, I called him back and explained what had happened and why. I’m sure he’s still skeptical. There needs to be an easier way to verify when an officer is calling vs a scam. This is a scenario that could easily get someone killed, either by the scammer or by the officer.
SIMPLE ADVICE – No police officer of any kind will ever tell you in advance you have a warrant – period! If they state that have one it’s a SCAM!
Find some loud noise and blast their ears off! I keep a horn or cowbell by the phone just for that reason alone! It keeps them at bay! And FYI the police could care less someone is impersonating them as they are harassing us!
A proactive
I was talking to someone on the registry recently about this. He has a 5 year old grandson. The grandson just loves to talk to people on the phone and tell them all about their lives, their day and toys. The man got one of those calls and told the person to hang on. He put his grandson on the phone and told him to talk away.
He put it on speaker phone just in case things got vulgar or something from the other end. After much babbling from the kid, they hung up LOL
I wish they would call me. I’d lay some ‘navy’ on them…just like I do to the ‘beggars’ and ‘auto insurance’ callers that I get
Captain…as a Son of a Decorated Marine, I understand What You Would Tell These Knuckleheads……..
AWESOME!
Semper Fidelis!