LASD Warns of Impersonation/Phone Scam

On Oct. 11, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department issued a “Situational” report. Scammers will call residents and tell them they are Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or LASD personnel (deputy, sergeant, detective, etc.) and demand payment of a fine for failing to respond to a jury duty summons or an outstanding warrant.

In fear of being arrested, victims are scammed into making payments in the form of gift cards, Bitcoin, or prepaid credit cards. The scammers use a fraudulent sense of emergency and pressure to coerce hard-earned money from unsuspecting people, many of them elderly.

Oftentimes, the scammers will use the names of real LASD personnel.  

If you receive a demand for payment by telephone, email or other means of communication, to be made in any form for any reason, from someone claiming to be a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employee, do not comply.

LASD personnel will never ask for payment over the phone or by email.

If you believe you were a victim of this type of crime, contact your local law enforcement agency and report the incident. 

Here are some tips to identify a potential threat-based impersonation scam and how to prevent yourself from falling prey to this scam or similar scams:

Tactics:

• Scammers pretend to be from a government or law enforcement agency.
  
• They threaten victims with arrest for outstanding warrants or other legal issue.
  
• They pressure victims to purchase various types of gift/prepaid cards or instruct them to purchase Bitcoin.
  
• Once a victim makes the purchase, the scammer instructs them to read the gift card numbers or bitcoin key over the phone.
  
• Once the scammer is satisfied, and they receive the necessary information, the line is disconnected.
  
• Financial transactions with LASD are handled at patrol stations, court houses and custody facilities.

Prevention Methods:

• If you are unsure if a call or email is real, verify the identity of the contact through an independent source, such as a phone book or online search.  Do not use the contact details provided by the caller or in the message they sent.
  
• Do not feel pressured by a threatening caller. Hang up and verify their story.
  
• Never send money, give bank account, credit card or personal information such as date of birth or social security numbers to anyone you do not know or trust.
  
• A government agency or trusted business will never ask for payment by unconventional methods, such as gift or store cards, Apple gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin.

To provide information anonymously, 800-222-8477, or http://lacrimestoppers.org.