Fake cop threatens to arrest me

[Barracuda]

Soooo PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW. Some jackhole called me pretending to be a cop and telling me I have a bench warrant for my arrest. Leads me through this whole song and dance where he is telling me that I missed jury duty and needed to pay a fine before my dad shows up (I had called him and he got worried when I didn't call back and he couldn't reach me, and he happened to be in the area,) and figured out what was going on, chewed the guy out and hung up. Called the real sheriff's office and they confirmed it was fake, no warrant out for me. Be aware, people. Especially if they ask you to pay a fine over the phone, it's fake. Guy pretended to be Captain Holloway of the Portland Police. Be aware. This is happening all over the country. Usually I'm smarter than that, but I have a phobia about going to jail (never been in trouble, not sure why.) The mere thought freaks me OUT.

[MoonCat]

Great, another scam! Yeah, pretty much anything like that where they want you to pay a "fine" over the phone is fake.

[AccountingDrone]

LOL I have a handy message that I will spiel when I get someone like that that involves mentioning that my phone is currently under surveillance by the police and that continuing with the conversation is authorization for them to record and trap any calls. I get more hang ups from that =)

I figure if anybody manages to sack up and try and con me after that, they deserve to get the less than $US on a visa gift card I keep around for shit like that =)

I did my jury duty for the next 3 years a few months ago. I haven't had any moving violations or parking tickets in more than 20 years, and we got our tax returns already [and I have the filings for the past 20 years sitting in a filing cabinet less than 5 feet away from me right now.] Short of someone calling to get me down to the morgue to ID a body, isn't anything any form of law enforcement can manage to do with me right now.

[Marmalady]

Great, another scam! Yeah, pretty much anything like that where they want you to pay a "fine" over the phone is fake.

I got an e-mail recently telling me that I had the FBI on my tail for some reason and that the only way to get a 'stay of warrant (?)' would be to pay this person $200 through the link provided. Sure, I'll do all that.

[Javarod]

Ah, the authority scam. Here in STL we we're getting warnings on the news claiming to be with the IRS, and if you didn't pay them, you'd right then and there, you'd be arrested.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I've gotten the fake IRS phone calls. I couldn't do much to them since they were recordings.

Today Mrs. IA got an email saying she had to make a court appearance or the case would be heard without her. It came from someone with a Netherlands (.nl) email address. It said details were in the attachment. Most likely a virus of some sort. It got deleted.

[taxguykarl]

My mega tax chain dashed off an email warning about the IRS scam.

[XCashier]

Some jackhole called me pretending to be a cop and telling me I have a bench warrant for my arrest.

Zaphod: They're going to arrest me over the phone? Could be. I'm pretty dangerous when I'm cornered.
Ford: Yeah, you fly to pieces so fast people get hit by the shrapnel.

I'm glad you told the police about that (do you have Caller ID? That should've gotten the creep's phone number) and hope he finds himself with his very own arrest warrant. I'd hate to see someone less-savvy getting taken to the cleaners by scumbag scammers.

[MadMike]

Unfortunately, Caller ID is easily spoofed, or so I'm told. Chances are the number that showed up, if any, wasn't really the number the scammer was calling from.

[Barracuda]

Yeah, the police said it was likely someone calling over a VOIP through Skype or some other service and spoofing the ID.