Officials warn of advanced phone scam
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News from the City of Polson
POLSON — Officers investigated an attempted fraud call for service over the weekend. An individual reported having been contacted by Yellowstone County. They reported that the caller used names of actual detectives and a captain with the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office. The caller advised the person had missed a court date and was facing two criminal charges including contempt of court. The caller then demanded they pay a bond of $4,000 for each offense. The caller instructed them to download an app on their phone to pay them. The caller also stated they were under a court-ordered gag order and would be arrested if they spoke with anyone about the “case.” The caller stated that they could travel to Billings to complete a “signature verification” on the subpoena that they had supposedly signed. They ended the conversation with the caller and reported the incident to the Polson Police Department.
Investigating officers determined the incident was indeed a scam. Yellowstone County officials reported to our officers that scam callers were “spoofing” their number. The scammers are believed to be using computer software to make phone calls and appear as if they are calling from a credible number. Sophisticated scams like this are difficult to investigate and education is the key to prevention. Whenever you are in doubt, please end the conversation and call your local law enforcement to report the incident.
