Crime & Safety

Phone Scammers Are Identifying Themselves as Court Officials: MontCo Sheriff

Individuals are falsely identifying themselves as sheriff's deputies, according to Sheriff Eileen Whalon Behr.

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Brittany Tressler, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department (MCSD) is warning citizens of a telemarketing scam involving individuals who identify themselves as sheriff’s deputies and harass potential victims to get personal information, which could lead to identity theft.

The department is investigating at least one male with a heavy accent who has called residents claiming to be “Deputy Thomas O’Brien” from the MCSD. The man said that he is following up on false charges against the resident, and tells them to contact “Detective Samuel Baxter” to discuss the complaint.

According to the MCSD, the “scammer” may ask for personal information such as the person’s date of birth, social security number and address—all of which can lead to identity theft.

“Impersonating a law enforcement officer is a serious crime and it ruins the trust that people have for official law enforcement officers,” said Sheriff Eileen Whalon Behr. "The MCSD does not make phone calls regarding details of civil matters, and we don’t collect personal information over the phone."

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Anyone who has been a victim of this sort of crime should contact the MCSD at 215-278-3331 or e-mail sheriffoffice@montcopa.org to report the incident.

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