Scammers impersonate Sheriff Pollack using name and telephone number

Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter
·2 min read

Branch County Sheriff John Pollack doesn’t make personal calls to tell people there is a warrant for their arrest.

“Don’t be fooled. Especially when they ask for Walmart, or iPhone cards to take care of the bond. We don’t do it that way,” he said.

The sheriff is warning the public and township boards this month that scammers are getting more sophisticated, trying to defraud the public.

Sheriff John Pollack told the Kinderhook Township and other boards scammers are using his name and spoofing the department's telephone.
Sheriff John Pollack told the Kinderhook Township and other boards scammers are using his name and spoofing the department's telephone.

The caller ID on the phone shows “Branch County Sheriff” and his actual office telephone number.

“It looks like it comes from our office,” Pollack said.

Targets are usually older adults.

“We’ve had a couple who have actually gone out and gotten gift cards at Walmart to pay the bond. That should be another clue this is a scam,” Pollack said.

The scam comes in spurts.

“This is the first time they have used actual names with the spoofed telephone numbers,” the sheriff said.

The sheriff said he may call someone he personally knows if there is a warrant for them.

“But we tell them to come to the jail to take care of it,” he said.

If there is a call, an individual should dial back the sheriff’s administration number to verify the information.

Undersheriff Keith Eichler said other calls are to people telling them they have won the Publishers Clearing House money. “But they want you to pay money up front to receive the prize," Eichler said.

Pollack said, “So just be aware when you’re on the phone with anybody and what they offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Prior related story Agencies join forces to fight elder abuse

Branch County Elder Abuse Task Force warns this time of year is when telephone scams call with Medicard renewals.

Some fraudsters pretend to represent government agencies like Medicare, the IRS, or the Social Security Administration.

They reach out via phone calls, emails, or text messages that claim you owe the government money or need personal information.

“Never give out personal information over the phone unless you initiate the call,” the task force urges.

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According to the AARP, an estimated $28.3 billion is lost to elder fraud scams each year.

In 2021, there were 92,371 older victims of fraud, resulting in $1.7 billion in losses reported to the Federal Trade Commission.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Scammers impersonate Sheriff Pollack Branch County elder spoofing