West Michigan Sex Offenders Are Being Targeted By Scammers

The Allegan County Sherriff's Office has put out a scam alert saying that phone scammers are targeting convicted sex offenders.

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What Is The Phone Scam?

People have been receiving a call from “Sergeant Johnson” from the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office. The fraudulent caller has told the individuals that they had “signed a certified letter” indicating that they would submit to a “secondary DNA sample per new Federal mandates” and have not complied. The fraudulent caller has instructed the individuals that they have an active warrant for their arrest and that they need to provide payment to him to satisfy the requirements of the warrant either through money order or by gift cards. The fraudulent caller has then instructed the individuals to “turn themselves in” at the Allegan County Jail after payment has been received.

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Who Are The Phone Scammers Going After?

While multiple people across West Michigan have been getting the calls the Allegan County Sheriff's Office says the scam calls have primarily focused on individuals on the Sex Offender Registry in Ottawa County.

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Does The Allegan County Sheriff's Office Issue Warrants Over The Phone?

The Allegan County Sheriff's Office said they do not accept any form of payment for warrants over the phone and do not inform anyone of active warrants over the phone unless it has been prearranged during an active investigation.

Credit: Allegan County Sheriff's Office via Facebook

What To Do If You Get A Suspected Scam Call

The Allegan County Sheriff's Office asks that If you have any questions or have received a similar call, to contact your local law enforcement agency or Lt. Mike Brown with the Investigative Services of the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office, at 269.673.0500 X-4592.