The Platte City Police Department is warning residents of a new scam that has affected several people in the community.
Since May 15, PCPD has taken five reports of a fraudulent phone scam involving individuals impersonating sheriff’s deputies.
In each case, the victim is contacted by phone and told they have a warrant for their arrest for allegedly missing jury duty. The caller often uses the name of a real law enforcement officer to sound more convincing. Victims are then instructed to withdraw a large sum of cash and deposit it into a Bitcoin machine using a barcode sent by the scammer.
To date, losses have exceeded $20,000 in Platte City alone.
Law enforcement wants residents to know the following key points:
Law enforcement will never demand payment via Bitcoin or any type of gift card.
Law enforcement will never call to threaten arrest for missing jury duty or request payment over the phone.
Anyone receiving such a call should hang up immediately and contact their local police department.
DOR WARNS OF TEXT SCAMS
The Missouri Department of Revenue urges Missourians to remain alert as another surge in phishing texts has been reported. These texts are often threatening and falsely claim to be from a trusted source, such as the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the DMV. These text messages may include a warning regarding unpaid traffic violations, outstanding toll charges, or other fines owed.
These texts are not from the Missouri Department of Revenue and should be treated as scams. The department will not send requests for payment or request personal information via text message. If you receive one of these phishing texts, take the following action:
Do not click on links
Do not provide personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking details, or passwords
Do not respond to the text
Delete the text