The Bucks County Consumer Protection Department and the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office want to warn Bucks County residents about an ongoing scam where individuals pose as Bucks County government offices, including Sheriff’s Office Deputies to try and steal your money.
The Sheriff’s Office warned residents, in late March, about a similar version of this scam. Unfortunately, it is making a resurgence with multiple residents reporting they’ve received calls appearing to come from the courthouse or from “no caller ID” but claiming to be an urgent legal matter or related to unpaid court fees. You should not answer calls from unknown numbers or “no caller ID”. It’s best to let these calls be sent to voicemail to give yourself time to properly research or vet the caller. You can make sure the callback number left in any message leads back to a legitimate government agency by verifying you have the correct number for that agency through the Bucks County Government website or a basic Google search to navigate to the page of the department the caller claimed to be from. This quick step to properly research the legitimacy of a caller and their supposed callback number will save you some headaches, prevent more frequent scam calls, and help you avoid a potential financial loss if you were susceptible to being on the hook for the ruse these scammers try to weave. In almost all cases these scammers are trying to steal money or compromise your personal information through phishing for sensitive information, which could also lead to identity theft.
If you accidentally pick up one of these calls you do not need to be polite and listen to their ruse. Simply hang up immediately so they do not continue calling you thinking they have you “on the hook” for their scam. People who stay on the phone with these scammers with the intent of “collecting information” to report them typically end up with a higher number of scam calls going forward. By simply answering the phone, and further interacting with these callers consumers are moved higher on the scammers’ lists to target because they have someone who answers the phone and is willing to listen. In that case, scammers know their chances of success go up, leading them to continue to try with various fraudulent calls and variations, most of which involve the caller demanding money or personal information, which are the big red flags to avoid. They may use aggressive and threatening language to pressure you into providing personal information or paying for supposed debts.
Please be aware of the following important information: Remember that the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, as well as all other county government offices, will never call you on the phone or send you emails demanding money. We will never ask you for money over the phone or via email for any reason. We do not issue federal warrants or jury warrants via phone or email.
Here’s what you need to know about these scams: They use Bucks County Sheriff’s Deputies’ names. Scammers may even have obtained the names of actual deputies to sound more legitimate. They “spoof” the main County Courthouse phone number as well as individual departments, such as the Sheriff’s Office. The number displayed on your caller ID might appear to be “Bucks County Courthouse” or “Bucks County Sheriff’s Office”, but know that it did not originate from any government office as they are using technology called “spoofing” that allows them to fake the number showing on your display without actually calling from that legitimate number. You can contact the official office through the County’s main number, 215-348-6000. If you receive a voicemail that appears to come from the legitimate number but is “spoofed” and leaves an alternate “callback number,” this is the scam artists attempting to get you to contact them so they can further their efforts to defraud you, steal your money or personal information.
What to do if you receive a suspicious call: You do not have to stay on the phone. If you feel pressured or uncomfortable, hang up immediately. If you are concerned, take these steps: Ask for the caller’s name. Ask for their name, department, and, if they claim to be law enforcement or a Sheriff’s Deputy, ask for a badge number; Ask for their specific county department or Sheriff’s Office section. Then hang up. Search online for the official Bucks County Sheriff’s Office phone number. Do not use the caller’s number. Call the Sheriff’s Office directly at the verified number. They can confirm if the person who called you is a legitimate member of their team. No government agency representative will threaten you over the phone. Sheriff’s deputies conduct themselves professionally and will not threaten or intimidate during phone calls.
Important Information About Warrants and Payments: You cannot pay law enforcement to get rid of a warrant. This is never a legitimate process. If there was a legitimate payment to be made to the Sheriff’s Office, it would never be in the form of: Bitcoin, gift cards, payments made at random kiosks in grocery stores, Walmart, or any other standalone retail location. If you have been scammed and incurred a financial loss or your personal information was compromised, you need to report Identity Theft through your local police department. They are the appropriate agency to handle fraud reports if you’ve suffered a financial loss. If you are unsure if something is a scam and would like assistance vetting the legitimacy of the communication, please don’t hesitate to contact Bucks County Consumer Protection at 215-348-6060, via email at consumerprotection@buckscounty.org or click here to visit the consumer protection website.
Stay vigilant and remember that Bucks County Government Departments and the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office will never ask you for money over the phone or internet. If you receive such a call, it is a scam.