NORTH HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A scam where callers are impersonating deputies within the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office is impacting people in Westmoreland County.
A North Huntingdon Township Police Department spokesperson shared information Tuesday night, saying at least two people have come forward, saying they believe they fell victim to the scam.
Officers received those separate reports on Monday. On Tuesday, two more calls were made reporting similar incidents.
Channel 11 first reported on this type of scam last week, when Allegheny County Sheriff Kevin Kraus issued a public warning about impersonation schemes.
North Huntingdon police said an unknown caller is telling victims they missed a court date where they were supposed to be a witness for an identity theft case in federal court. The victims were then told to pay a fine using funds deposited into a kiosk at a location provided by the caller. The victim also deposited funds into Bitcoin wallet QR codes sent to them via text.
Police said the scammer tells victims not to call anyone else or hang up the phone during this process.
Authorities warn scammers are also using AI to make images of arrest warrants with the victims’ names on them as further means of deception.
“If you receive any phone calls from anyone identifying as law enforcement of this nature, please disregard the calls altogether and contact your local police department. It’s important to note that NO police department will require payment for fines or warrants via cryptocurrency,” a spokesperson for the North Huntingdon Police Department said.
Officers in North Huntingdon are working to identify the person or people responsible.
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