Lang
11/15/24
Scammers pretending to be law enforcement officers are now targeting residents in Washington County.
Similar scams in recent months have seen the perpetrators pretending to be officers with the Iowa City Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department and the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office. The scam involves the caller telling the potential victim that they need to pay a fine over the phone immediately or a warrant will be issued for their arrest. In some cases, the scammer even uses the name of a real officer.
Washington County dispatch records show a Washington resident received such a call just after 11:00 Thursday morning. The caller, who identified himself as a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy, claimed the person failed to show for two jury summons and needed to pay $1,400 to avoid an arrest warrant being issued. The caller hung up and contacted the actual Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Police say they will never call and ask for payments over the phone, and the best course of action for those who receive such calls is to just hang up. Scam calls can also be reported to local law enforcement.