Scammers are using the threat of arrest warrants to pressure people into forking over hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars. Today the Henderson Police Department was contacted by a citizen who stated that she was threaten that if she didn’t pay $6,000 to the IRS that she would be arrested. The call came from a Texas number.

The caller wanted the potential victim’s debit card information. She refused and hung up the phone. The caller called back manipulating caller ID to make the number appear to come from the Henderson Police Department. The caller told the potential victim that he had obtained a warrant for the unpaid debt and wanted to know where she was so he could arrest her or she could still pay the money to avoid arrest. The potential victim told the caller that she was at the Police Department and to come get her.

The callers convince people to give their debit or credit card numbers out or make the payments by wiring it through Western Union or buying a prepaid credit card like Green Dot and registering it online.

Citizens are reminders to NEVER give out card numbers to anyone and to never purchase debit cards to send to anyone unless you are sending it as gift to someone you know. The most important thing to remember is that in North Carolina it is illegal for law enforcement officers to accept money to prevent an arrest or to squash a warrant.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow

Press Release: April 12, 2017