Sheriff’s Office warns of phone scams

For More Information Contact:

Captain John Watterson
(845) 486-3860

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of Dutchess County and surrounding areas about recent phone scams. During the daytime shift on October 19, 2014, the Sheriff’s Office alone received four complaints from people who had been contacted under false pretenses.

In each of these calls, a male caller identified himself as a Sheriff’s Office detective and claimed to have a warrant for the person’s arrest. The caller then instructed the person to wire money or meet at Rite Aid in the City of Poughkeepsie. None of the people who contacted the Sheriff’s Office paid any money. All were suspicious of the calls and reported them immediately. At this time, there is no additional information about the identity of the suspect or suspects.

Phone scams are used by criminals to trick people into sending money by inventing elaborate stories. In many cases, scammers try to use a victim’s concern for a loved one to pressure them into acting quickly.

It is common for scammers to claim that a relative has been seriously hurt or jailed and needs money immediately. They may pose as a law enforcement officer or another relative to make the story seem legitimate.

The Sheriff’s Office offers the following tips to help people avoid these types of scams:

• Do not meet with someone you do not know. If you are asked to do this, it is likely a scam and could also be dangerous.
• If someone you do not know calls and asks for money for any reason, treat it as a likely scam. Legitimate requests for money generally do not come from strangers without warning.
• If someone claims that your relative has been hurt or is in jail, confirm it before sending any money. Contact other relatives or a legitimate law enforcement agency. If the caller claims to be a relative, contact that person directly.
• Use extreme caution when asked to send money overseas.
• Ask for a callback number and request to speak with a supervisor to verify the information. Scam callers will often hang up when challenged.
• If the caller says a loved one is in the hospital or jail, ask which hospital or facility and contact it directly to verify the claim.
• Be especially cautious if a loved one has recently passed away. In some cases, scammers search obituaries and target surviving family members. If you receive calls from unfamiliar people after a loss, verify the information before sending money.
• If someone says you have won money but need to send money first to process the claim, it is a scam. You should never have to pay money to claim a prize. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you have any doubt about a phone call you receive, contact the Sheriff’s Office before sending money.

Do not send money to anyone you do not know until you have confirmed the situation through an independent source and are confident the request is legitimate. If it is a scam, once the money is sent, it is very difficult, and often impossible, to recover.

If you believe you may have been a victim of this type of scam in the past, or if you receive similar calls in the future, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (845) 486-3800, the tipline at (845) 605-CLUE, or dcsotips@gmail.com.