MILWAUKEE — Callers are impersonating local law enforcement officers, claiming you need to pay money to clear a warrant for your arrest — and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office wants you to be on alert.
"It's an older scam that now has some new twists to it," explained Detective Brian Conte with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.
"The newest sophistication is spoofing the phone numbers to fool the citizen to think that's it's coming from a legitimate law enforcement agency — to fool their caller ID," he continued.
Here's how Detective Conte says you can spot a fake call: a legitimate law enforcement official would never ask you to pay to erase a warrant over the phone, or ask for you to pay using gift cards or bitcoin.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says the people on the other end of these calls are not just hoping to scare you into giving them money. They will also try to get any personal information, which can open you up to identity theft.
That's why Detective Conte says you should always be suspicious of sharing details like your social security number or even your birth date over the phone.
Click here for more information or to report a suspicious phone call you've received.
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