Crime & Safety

Montco Sheriff's Department: Beware Phone Scammers Impersonating Deputies

Written by Mischa Arnosky


The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department is asking residents to be on the alert for a scam involving people who falsely identify themselves as sheriff’s deputies. The callers harass potential victims with the hopes of getting them to divulge personal information, which may lead to identity theft, the Sheriff’s Department said.

According to Lt. Gregory Womelsdorf of the MCSD, the Montgomery County Detectives Bureau is investigating one scammer with a heavy accent who has called residents claiming to be “Deputy Thomas O’Brien” from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. The bogus officer then tells the resident that he is following up on false charges against the resident and tells the resident to contact “Detective Samuel Baxter,” another fake officer, via an out-of-state phone number to discuss the details of the complaint.

The scammer may ask for personal information such as the person’s date of birth, social security number and address.

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

Anyone who has been a victim of this crime should call the MCSD at 215-278-3331 or email sheriffoffice@montcopa.org to report the incident. Complaints can also be filed with the resident’s local police department or, The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania by calling 215-861-8200 or online at http://www.justice.gov/usao/pae/report_a_crime.htm.


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