Laramie, Wyo. - The Laramie Police Department and Albany County Sheriff's Office are warning residents about an ongoing scam targeting people's fear of arrest.
LPD says scammers use a number which appears to come from the Albany County Sheriff's Office (307-755-3520), and even provide real looking court documents, telling the recipient that they have a warrant out for their arrest, missed jury duty, or never paid a citation.
They may terminate the call abruptly, falsely accusing the recipient of hanging up and threatening immediate arrest if the individual reports to our office. The victims are then instructed to utilize a Coin Star or money machine for fund transfer with the assurance of resolving the issue.
However, the Albany County Sheriff's Office (and all other legitimate law enforcement agencies) never requests payments over the phone or notifies individuals of active warrants through calls.
If you are a resident of Albany County and fall victim to these scammers with financial loss, you are encouraged to file a report by calling the Albany County Sheriff's Office's Non-Emergency line at (307) 721-2526.
Tips to help avoid becoming a victim to this scam include:
* Never give personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller or email.
* Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.
* Stay private. Regularly update privacy settings for social media sites. Scammers often make their stories more believable by trolling for personal information on Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites.
* Remember that anyone who has the number on a prepaid card has access to the funds on your card
* Never wire money, provide debit or credit card numbers to a stranger.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a tremendous amount of information and resources available to protect consumers. Information can be found by visiting www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts
