PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about impersonation scam calls spreading throughout our area.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson said they had received several calls about the message Wednesday morning.
The scam caller identifies themself as Lt. James Perry and claims the recipient failed to attend a federal court hearing at the Joseph F. Weis courthouse. It threatens “further legal consequences” if the appearance is not rescheduled.
It says appointments should be scheduled by calling a phone number, emailing, or going to a website.
The voicemail said anyone who wants to appear in person should call the listed number to schedule ahead because of COVID-19 regulations but this is also not true.
The Sheriff’s Office said this message raises several red flags. The first is that Lt. James Perry does not work for them.
They said their deputies would never call about federal court appearances.
The website given to callers also ends in “.org” The website they use would only end in “.gov.”
Any calls asking for payments to be made over the phone, over payment apps like Venmo or Zelle or in cryptocurrency should be considered suspicious. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department will not ask for payments this way.
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