OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – For most folks, an arrest warrant is enough to scare you straight, but Oklahomans are facing fake arrest threats in record numbers and losing thousands to scammers along the way.
State officials are now getting involved hoping to stymie the rising fraud.
Sharyl Pickens is a local realtor who received a phone call, allegedly, from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office last month.
The “deputy” informed her, she was a material witness to a crime involving a minor that occurred at a property she sold some time before, and Sharyl had missed her court date.
“He says we are dispatching deputies right now to arrest you,” Sharyl said. “I’m thinking holy crap, I know you can ping me on my phone.”
Except it wasn’t a real deputy. Sharyl was the target of an impersonation scam
The impersonator though had enough info on Sharyl’s life and career, that the fear was real. She tells News 4 the caller demanded she proactively pay bail or face incarceration.
Around the same time as Sharyl’s phone call, a News 4 employee spoke with a similar scammer over the phone.
The caller claimed an outstanding Oklahoma County arrest warrant would also lead to legal trouble.
“You come in contact with any law enforcement whatsoever, in any kind of way. They run your I.D. they’re going to arrest you,” the scammer threatened.
Impersonation scams can take many forms. From phony IRS calls, fake FBI inquiries, to…
