As the holiday season continues, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) is issuing a warning for residents regarding scams involving fake judicial documents, “Preemptive Bail” and digital currency.
In recent days, the MSO has received numerous notifications from area residents reporting calls from criminals posing as law enforcement members. In each case, the callers alleged residents had warrants for their arrest for failing to appear in court.
In at least three of those instances, residents were sent what appeared to be arrest warrants via text. The warrants – which are fake – indicated charges were for failure to appear and contempt of court. In all the instances – including those involving the fake warrants – scammers tried to convince residents to pay fines of up to $5,000.
In one case involving a fake federal warrant, the scammer also sent the resident a document indicating they could post a “Preemptive Bail”, which would allow them to “avert apprehension and secure timely release.” The document also indicated that bail involving cash deposits “can be made at locally available kiosks, such as those found at grocery stores and fuel stations.”
Another document indicated that the “White House Administration has approved Digital Currency as a method for posting eligible appearance bonds” and included directions on how to pay at an “Authorized Self Service Bonding Terminal”.
“We want to be clear: no legitimate court or law enforcement agency will ever carry out its responsibilities this way,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. “There is no such thing as preemptive bail, we will never ask you to pay a fine at a gas station or grocery store, and the courts do not accept digital currency. These are all tell-tale signs of a scam.”
If you, or someone you know, has been targeted in one of these arrest scams, you are encouraged to contact local law enforcement or the agency that the alleged warrant is from to report the incident. In cases where callers claim to be from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, we ask that you call either 781-960-2800 or 978-667-1711 and ask to speak with an investigator in the Inner Perimeter Security (IPS) Unit.
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office is also offering scam awareness and prevention presentations for local organizations within Middlesex County. Since the beginning of November, the MSO has delivered scam awareness presentations in five communities. Organizations interested in hosting a presentation may submit a request on the MSO website at www.middlesexsheriff.org/31/Community.