Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno is reminding residents to remain vigilant against calls from individuals pretending to be law enforcement officers.
In a Lake County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, Leonbruno detailed multiple calls from a scammer, or scammers, posing as “Captain Bryan Bowen,” and informing residents that they have an arrest warrant issued against them.
“They are then sending fake court documents via text to try and prove there is, in fact, a warrant….the person is then directed to send money, often through a bitcoin machine or via gift cards, so the person (named) is not arrested on the warrant,” the message reads.
“They are also using a caller ID spoof program to make it seem the number they are calling from is, in fact, a local number. In this instance, the caller ID is showing to be an actual Lake County phone number returning to the Lake County Clerk of Courts Office.”
Like scams that occurred earlier this year, in which individuals posed as Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles officials — issuing fake text messages related to outstanding traffic violations — Leonbruno emphasized that no deputy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, or any other law enforcement or government agency, will ever call or text demanding that money be sent to avoid arrest due to noncompliance.
Additionally, in March, calls of an identical nature circulated throughout the county.
“If you receive a phone call like this, or anything similar, hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report,” Leonbruno stated. “You can also go to your local police department or sheriff’s office in person to file the report.”
