Wayne County Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon wants citizens to be on alert for a con man or con men claiming to be a deputy threatening them with prosecution. A number of people have called in to local police departments, Circuit Court, the Prosecutors office and also the Sheriff’s Office to say they were almost taken by con artists claiming to be Wayne County deputies, but they threatened these unsuspecting citizens with arrest in an attempt to extort money from them.
The scammer claims to be Deputy Mike Harris — another said he’s Deputy James Marshall — calling from the court to inform the person that he or she missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for their arrest. The con man then instructs the potential victim to purchase a pre-paid debit card in the amount of $1,500, and to call him back with the card numbers. He goes on to instruct them to show up at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice at which time the $1,500 will be refunded.
So far at least one woman in Livonia has fallen prey to the ploy and did as she was instructed. She followed up with a call to a friend in the Prosecutor’s Office who told her to call Livonia Police immediately. Fortunately, Kroger officials canceled the funds on the card before they could be accessed. Sheriff Napoleon wants Wayne County citizens to be aware of this scam because once the scammer is paid it can be extremely difficult to investigate since they’ve been known to use internet phones lines and disposable cells.
“What makes this particularly disturbing is they’re using the courts and law enforcement to scam law abiding citizens and the victims tend to be seniors,” said Sheriff Benny Napoleon. “With the holidays upon us these criminals are likely to ramp up their efforts, so we’re hoping to warn the public about this latest con so they can hang up the moment that person starts talking.”
Citizens should know that deputies and court employees will not call individuals with a request for money. If you do miss any type of court appearance you will always be notified in writing and requested to correct the situation at court. Individuals who receive calls of this type should take note of the details and contact their local police department immediately.
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