A town of Bristol woman is out $3,500 after she was victimized by a telephone scammer claiming to be a Sun Prairie Police Officer.
According to a Feb. 9 county news release, the thief claimed the victim had been subpoenaed and she needed to pay him, or she would be charged with a crime. The woman initially paid the scammer over $7,000 through the two different money transfer apps.
She discovered it was a scam after she called Sun Prairie Police, and she was able to cancel a portion of the payments. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fraud.
Please be aware that law enforcement will never request money over the telephone or by email. These scammers often sound very legitimate and can spoof telephone numbers of the actual law enforcement agency, making the vetting even more difficult. If you receive a phone call like this one, hang up and report the call to local authorities.
