NORTHAMTPON COUNTY, Pa. — The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning to the public about a scam caller impersonating a department official with threats to pay a fine or face jail time.
The NCSD reported Friday they had received calls from citizens reporting they had received a call from “Sgt. James Riley” of the NCSD. “Riley” informed those individuals they had a warrant, or owed fines, and threatened them with jail time if those fines were not paid by credit card or Bitcoin.
“The public should be aware that this is a scam. The Northampton County Sheriff’s Department does not call residents and solicit money in lieu of arrest,” the NCSD warning reads.
“Please report any suspicious solicitations to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office at 1-800-441-2555 or email them to scams@attorneygeneral.gov.”
Phone scammers impersonating law enforcement officials is a common tactic to extort money from victims.
“Scammers use many tactics to sound and appear credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials, federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They also spoof government phone numbers to appear on caller IDs as if they are calling from a government agency or the court,” a report from the U.S. Marshals office stated in Feb. 2024.
Those who receive such calls are advised not to speak with the caller, and to hang up immediately.
According to Crimewatch PA, “Other than state constables who can collect fines all court related fines and costs must be paid in person at a court or through their online system, not through telephone or gift cards.”
According to an FBI report from May 2024, scammers tend to target the elderly because they tend to be more “trusting and polite.”
“They usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit- all of which makes them attractive to scammers. Additionally, seniors may be less inclined to report fraud, as they might not know how, or may be too ashamed of having been scammed,” a release from the FBI’s Philadelphia office stated.
