ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Area residents are urged to be cautious and not fall for scams when they receive phone calls from individuals claiming to be law enforcement.
Both the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and Ann Arbor Police Department are warning community members of an uptick in reports of callers pretending to be police officers or department staff.
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Scammers may demand money and claim the person they are calling has an outstanding warrant or missed a court appearance.
“We remind the public that the Sheriff’s Office will never contact you demanding payment for failing to appear in court, for an outstanding warrant, etc. If you receive such a call, it is a scam, and you should hang up immediately,” officials wrote on social media.
Police said a resident recently reported getting a call from an individual claiming to be “Captain David Gibson” with the Sheriff’s Office and demanding payment for not appearing in court. The resident was told to meet the caller at the Sheriff’s Office with the money.
Officials said community members should not meet with scammers, wire money, give gift card numbers, send money via Apple Pay, or exchange bank account information with possible scammers.
Some scammers may use a technology technique called spoofing, in which the caller ID shows a legitimate number from law enforcement.
Questions can be directed to the Sheriff’s Office at 734-994-2911 or to Ann Arbor Police Department at 734-794-6920.