The latest perpetrators of telephone scams in Northampton County have created a fake website for the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department, with what appear to be local phone numbers, District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta warned Wednesday in a news release.
Officials are working to dismantle the fake website.
Residents have reported receiving calls from someone claiming to be from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department, according to Baratta. The numbers that have been used are 610-488-2855 and 610-829-5601.
The scammers demand bail payments to avoid arrest for criminal arrest warrants or bench warrants for failing to appear for jury duty, Baratta said.
The victims are told that the sheriff’s office will arrest them unless they immediately pay off fines or post bail via bitcoin or other form of cryptocurrency. The victims are directed to bring cash to a cryptocurrency ATM, usually found at local convenience stores or other retailers.
The scammers are convincing, Baratta said. They appear to be outside the United States and are hiding their identity using equipment such as encrypted communication platforms, he said.
The district attorney said local law enforcement officials would never ask for money over the phone, nor can it accept alternative payment methods, such as cryptocurrency. Anyone who receives such demands for payment should disconnect the caller and notify local law enforcement, Baratta said.
Emergency payments, in cases they do need to be made, can only be made in person in the Office of Clerk or Criminal Court, or at Northampton County Jail, Baratta said.