The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has sent out an advisory stating that scammers are posing as government officials such as West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station Captain, William Moulder. Detectives are searching for people accused of posing as the high-ranking head of the station and are threatening potential victims to “pay the fine or be arrested.”
An Information Detail posted in the LASD website highlights the following warning:
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is reminding the public about criminals who are posing as government agencies as part of an extortion scam. The caller in these cases will typically demand payment and threaten the victim with some sort of legal action (arrest them or disrupt services) if the payment is not made. The caller will then instruct the victim to get a Money Order, conduct a wire transfer, or purchase some type of gift card to pay the fine.
Be Alert, be advised, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or any government agency will NEVER call and solicit money for fines. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or any government agency will NEVER ask you to get a Money Order, gift card, or wire transfer. Phone Scam thieves will attempt to trick you into giving them money. DO NOT SEND MONEY!
Be Aware, never give your personal information to anyone over the phone. DO NOT give callers information about your bank accounts, pin numbers, Social Security numbers, or any type of identifying information. If you receive a phone call, always verify who the caller truly is. DO NOT use the number they provide you as verification.
If you receive a suspicious phone call/solicitation that you believe is not a real government agency, please contact the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) at (800) 593-8222. You can also file a complaint on the DCA website at dca.lacounty.gov.
If you have sent money or believe that you are a victim of a crime, please call your local Sheriff’s Station or Police Department and report the incident.”
LASD reports that telephonic and impersonation scams have been on the rise and offers more safety tips to prevent you from being a victim of these types of crimes:
- Be aware of how in depth your social media post may be.
- Do not upload material with personal information or make private information about yourself public.
- Law enforcement agencies will never call and ask for money, gift cards, cryptocurrencies, personal information or any form of payment over the phone, EVER!
- Verify the validity of the caller by calling your local police station before taking any action.
- If you have elderly parents/grandparents, extended family, friends etc. who live alone, please inform them and protect them from these predatory calls.
Don’t be a victim of a crime.
Anyone with information on the scammers should call the West Hollywood station at (310) 855-8850.
