WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Officials warned a caller posing as a member of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and demanding payment for a missed court appearance is a scammer.
According to a Facebook post, a woman reported that someone contacted her over the phone Friday and claimed to be Lieutenant Chris Braman, an actual Sheriff’s Office employee. The caller alleged the woman missed a subpoena for court and said “she now had to pay money via Bitcoin transfer to resolve the issue” or be forced to serve a 14-day jail sentence.
This is a SCAM! The scammers tell very elaborate stories, and they sound very real and convincing. As always, while real law enforcement officers *might* leave you a phone message, we will never insist upon payment of money over the phone.
If you are ever in doubt whether a request like this one is legitimate, the Sheriff’s Office recommends you contact the entity the caller is claiming to be from and inquire directly.
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