Fine and arrest scams continue to target residents, Middlesex Sheriff’s Office warns

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) issued a warning to residents to be aware of scammers contacting them through phone calls, emails, texts and online platforms. The perpetrators of these scams pretend to be toll- or fine-collection agencies, the IRS, banks or law enforcement.

These schemes trap victims using “high-pressure scenarios.” They will warn you of a problem with your taxes, missed jury duty, fraudulent bank activity or even a threat of arrest over unpaid fines, such as toll fines.

Scams will direct you to submit payment or personal information through a link to a site that imitates official platforms. Others ask you to confirm your identity by sharing personal information such as your Social Security number, bank account number and security codes.

Arrest scams will even, according to the MSO, demand individuals “surrender themselves to law enforcement agencies at specific locations. In these cases, the perpetrators will often use the name of current or retired law enforcement professionals.”

The MSO wants residents to “remember that no legitimate law enforcement agencies will contact you this way.”

These scammers hope you’ll be scared into sharing your money or information to protect yourself from what appears to be a scary financial or legal situation.

If you receive a suspicious message or call, the MSO advises you “hang up the phone or halt correspondence with the individual and contact local authorities.”

To guard against these and other scams, the MSO recommends residents learn to look for red flags such as  

• Unsolicited requests for personal information or verification requests; to clarify, this means you did not initiate contact or request access before receiving the call or message.
• Strange or misspelled links to a site impersonating an official site or portal; messages often have misspellings or errors.
• Payment requests using unusual methods such as gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfers. 
• Time-sensitive threats of legal consequences, financial loss or high fees.

The MSO wants residents to know that they can reach out for help. If you receive a call or message from someone claiming to be a Middlesex officer or deputy, contact the MSO’s Inner Perimeter Security Unit at (978) 667-1711.

Interested local organizations can also contact the Director of Community Affairs Ken Doucette at KDoucette@sdm.state.ma.us to request a presentation on common scams and how to avoid them from the MSO’s Law Enforcement and Residents Networking (LEARN) initiative.