KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A phone scammer almost convinced one Kalamazoo County resident they were the sheriff’s office using a spoofed caller ID Thursday at 4 p.m.
The scammer demanded $36,000 for “pending charges for contempt of court” and identified themselves using the name of a real member of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. They told the would-be victim to bring two pieces of identification and the amount of the fee in cash to the sheriff’s office after 6 p.m.
Thankfully, the call was reported to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s office instead.
“Sheriff Fuller would like to make it clear to citizens that no law enforcement agency would contact someone asking them to bring cash to pay fines or charges and no law enforcement agency would ask someone to pay fines and costs after-hours.” Capt. Jeff Christensen of the KCSO said in a statement.
If you have received unsolicited calls asking to meet after-hours with cash, do not follow the scammer’s instructions. Always contact the agency directly and verify any information with them first.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with further information on this investigation to contact them at 269-383-8748 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
