RACINE, Wis. — After losing hundreds of dollars to a scammer posing as a law enforcement officer, a Racine woman is speaking up in the hopes of helping others avoid a similar trap.
Maddisen Wheatley contacted TMJ4 News after she received a voicemail from someone claiming to be with the Racine County Sheriff's Office. The caller warned that Wheatley had missed jury duty and that, to avoid arrest, she would need to pay a fine.
"As soon as I walked in, there were four police officers who told me it sounds like a scam," Wheatley said.
Unfortunately for Wheatley, that revelation didn't come soon enough.
“I was just scared," Wheatley said. "I was scared to go to jail, and I was really confused.”
“I’ve never really been in contact with authorities like that, so I didn’t know what was happening,” she added. "If it was a real situation, I'm not going to tell the police to come and get me like I want to work with them."
Wheatley told TMJ4's Tahleel Mohieldin that the scammer knew personal details about her, shared a badge number, used police codes, and even played the sound of a police scanner in the background to make the situation sound more legitimate.
The callers, who demanded the 22-year-old remain on the line, directed her to a Bitcoin ATM, where she transferred $500 under the threat of arrest.
Then they asked for more, but with nothing left to give, Wheatley went to the Racine County Sheriff's Office. That's when the scammers abruptly hung up.
“I was upset," Wheatley said. "I was upset with myself that I didn’t catch on."
A spokesperson with the Racine County Sheriff's Office said similar scams have been a source of regular complaints, with impersonators even using the real names of sheriff’s office staff or spoofing local numbers.
Watch: Racine woman scammed out of hundreds by fake officer
RCSO estimates they receive complaints like Wheatley's once or more a month, which can be difficult to investigate because the criminals hide the origins of their telephone numbers.
Officials urge residents to be cautious with unsolicited calls that involve threats or urgent financial demands. They also recommend contacting their non-emergency line directly to verify the truthfulness of a telephone call at (262) 886-2300.
RSCO's advice for protecting yourself and others from falling victim to these scams:
Do not send money
- If you receive a call similar to this, please DO NOT pay money, DO NOT share any of your personal information such as bank account numbers or electronic forms of payment login information.
Be wary of urgent requests
- Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure individuals into providing information or taking action without thinking it through.
- If you receive a call demanding immediate attention to a legal matter, take a step back and verify the legitimacy of the request before proceeding.
Verify the caller
- If you receive a call claiming to be from the Sheriff's Office or any other authoritative organization, it's always best to independently verify the authenticity of the call.
- Use the official non-emergency number provided by the Sheriff’s Office to confirm whether the call is legitimate.
Do not share personal information
- Never share personal or sensitive information over the phone unless you are absolutely certain of the caller's identity and their need for that information.
- Legitimate organizations will not typically request confidential information such as bank account numbers over the phone.
Report suspicious calls
- If you believe you have received a scam call, report it to the appropriate authorities.
- This can help in tracking and preventing further fraudulent activity.
Educate others
- Spread awareness about these types of scams within your community to help protect others from falling victim to similar schemes.
- Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to be cautious when receiving unexpected calls asking for personal information.
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