Ontario County warned of scammers posing as law enforcement

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The people of Ontario County are being warned that scammers are posing as law enforcement over the phone.

According to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, the scammers pose as either local or federal officers and tell their victims that a warrant is out for their arrest. They say they will be arrested unless they send money to a specific location.

Investigators say one instance involved scammers with Middle Eastern accents falsely identifying themselves as Customs and Border Patrol agents. Another man called posing as a deputy of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office. The victim was ordered to deliver up to $15,000 in cash to a Bitcoin machine in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Another instance involved a scammer posing as a sergeant of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, telling the victim she had a warrant for her arrest and owed $50,000. The scammer ordered her to pay 10% of the money or $5,000.

Deputies warn these scammers are adding more detail into their tactics, with one scammer even having “Ontario County” show up as their caller ID. Residents are told that law enforcement would not call people up and tell them there’s a warrant out for their arrest or direct them to pay money for the warrant.

If you experienced a similar incident, you are asked to call 911.

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