Scam Alert. (Credit: CrimewatchPA)
State officials are warning Pennsylvanians about two separate scams: one that uses spoofed phone numbers to impersonate sheriff’s offices and a second that uses fraudulent text messages to pose as the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said a government imposter scam is threatening residents with arrest if they don’t immediately pay an unpaid ticket or legal fee.
Scammers use a spoofed phone number, making the call appear to come from a legitimate government agency, officials said.
The callers warning that a sheriff’s deputy is on the way with a warrant for their arrest. The scammer then offers a “lifeline” to make an immediate payment via gift cards, wire transfers or a cryptocurrency ATM, officials said.
The scammers are insistent to prevent the target from hanging up.
“Scammers will do anything to take advantage of hardworking Pennsylvanians, including scaring their targets into making payments,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “Be aware that a sheriff or sheriff deputy will not call you offering a ‘second chance’ from being arrested.”
Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran said the scam is particularly “infuriating” because criminals are exploiting the public’s trust in law enforcement.
“These criminals use fear to short-circuit your good judgment,” Harran said. “Don’t let them. The single most powerful tool you have is the ‘end call’ button.”
Officials advise residents who receive such a call to ask for the caller’s badge number, law enforcement agency, and office phone number. If they refuse to allow the resident to hang up and call them back at that number to verify their identity, it’s a clear scam.
No law enforcement, government agency or court will ask for payment via gift cards or cryptocurrency, the attorney general’s office stated.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General Office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection recommends that anyone who has sent money to an individual impersonating law enforcement to contact their bank and the third-party money transmitter immediately to try to cancel the payment. Residents who believe they have been victims of a government imposter scam can file a complaint at attorneygeneral.gov.
In a separate warning, Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne issued a warning about a phishing scam targeting residents with fraudulent text messages.
The messages impersonate Pennsylvania Department of Revenue officials to trick recipients into sharing sensitive personal and financial information, officials said.
Similar fraudulent activity has been reported in Philadelphia, where the city’s Department of Revenue has also seen residents targeted by deceptive texts. The messages often contain links to fake websites and ask for banking details under the pretense of processing a refund.
“We want to make it absolutely clear that the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue does not send unsolicited text messages asking for banking information,” Browne said. “If you have any suspicion that you received a message like this, do not click any links, do not respond, and delete the message immediately.”
The scam isn’t limited to Pennsylvania, as state revenue agencies in California, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Missouri have reported similar fraudulent activity.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue advises all taxpayers to verify the status of their refund only through official channels, including the department’s online tax hub, myPATH, or by calling 1-888-PATAXES.
To protect themselves from the text message scam, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue advises residents to not click on links from unknown or suspicious senders, never share personal information via text and report suspicious messages to state officials at 717-425-2495 ext. 72267.
