Recipients threatened with legal action unless fine is paid

Mar 28, 2015 11:37 GMT  ·  By

Residents in Ohio have been receiving calls allegedly from 911 emergency number asking them to contact a given phone number in relation to a pending arrest or legal action that could be settled by paying a fine.

By spoofing the 911 number the crooks instruct the recipient to contact the Attorney General’s Office by providing a bogus number.

If the potential victims follow the false directions, they are asked to pay a fine that would save them from authorities taking action against them based on alleged offenses.

Tricking people into paying money to avoid prosecution is not an uncommon phone scam, but the level of social engineering used by the criminals in this case sets the operation apart.

Since the beginning of the month, the Office of the Attorney General in Ohio received more than 20 complaints regarding these nefarious activity.

“Recent reports of the 911-caller ID scams have come from consumers in Butler, Clinton, Cuyahoga, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Montgomery, Seneca, Stark, Summit, and Union counties, but additional consumers likely have been affected,” a warning from the Attorney General says.

To avoid falling victim to this scam, people are advised to not comply with demands to provide money over the phone, even if it appears to be a call from law enforcement or from the government, regardless of the reason invoked.