Allegan County urges caution after report of caller impersonating law enforcement

Mitchell Boatman, The Holland Sentinel
·1 min read

ALLEGAN COUNTY — The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office is reminding citizens to be wary of fraud after reports of a person claiming to be a law enforcement officer while asking for money over the phone.

ACSO was made aware of the fraudulent activity Friday, March 17. The caller, according to reports, told the victim they had an open citation to appear in court and were now in “contempt of court.”

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office is reminding citizens to be wary of fraud after reports of a person claiming to be a law enforcement officer while asking for money over the phone.
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office is reminding citizens to be wary of fraud after reports of a person claiming to be a law enforcement officer while asking for money over the phone.

The caller told the victim to pay $1,500 through Zelle or Venmo, then drive to the police station. They told the victim not to hang up the phone while they worked on payment, or they risked arrest.

ACSO said it will never call to request payment of fines over the phone, and added any request for payments using Zelle, Venmo, Apple, Bitcoin, Google or other non-traditional payment methods should be treated as potential fraud.

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If you receive a suspicious call asking for payment, ACSO suggests notifying the caller you'll contact the business or law enforcement agency directly, then hang up the phone. When contacting a business or agency, use a publicly listed number and not one the caller may provide.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Allegan County urges caution after report of caller impersonating law enforcement