Montco DA’s Office warns on growing email scam involving fake arrest warrant

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Sheriff Sean P. Kilkenny are alerting the public to an email scam currently operating in Montgomery County.

The scam emails say it’s coming from the “FDIC GOVERNMENT OFFICE WARRANT DIVISION” with a subject line of “MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE *FALSE CLAIMS DIVISION.*” The email informs the resident that an arrest warrant has been issued for their failing to appear in court. To satisfy the warrant, the scam email instructs them to put money into a “digital escrow” via a Coinstar bitcoin terminal.

Attached to the scam emails are various documents that look “official” but are in fact spoofs: an arrest warrant from the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, another document with an FDIC logo and the U.S. Supreme Court seal, an FDIC brochure that announces that individuals can make payments using a Coinstar bitcoin terminal and a contempt order that says it can be satisfied by paying a specific amount of money via the bitcoin terminal. All of these are false and fakes.

    A document commonly attached to the scam email. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)
  

“Montgomery County residents need to know that arrest warrants are never handled in this manner. No money is involved if there is a warrant issued for someone’s failure to appear in court for any reason. A failure to appear warrant must be handled in a courtroom in front of a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas,” said District Attorney Steele. “Further, bitcoin is not a currency accepted by Montgomery County courts or any other entity associated with our criminal justice system.”

    A document commonly attached to the scam email. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)
  

“We have seen a recent uptick in the frequency and severity of scams involving criminals who fraudulently claim to be deputy sheriffs,” said Sheriff Kilkenny. “These scams are particularly harmful because they prey on the public’s trust in law enforcement in general and our office in particular. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office does not call residents to ask for payment of fines, settlement of warrants, court costs or any other reason.”

If someone receives this scam email and is worried that it might be legitimate, the recipient can call the main Montgomery County Courthouse phone number of 610-278-3000 and ask for the Sheriff’s Department. Calling the Courthouse main number and then being transferred to the Sheriff’s Department will avoid any issue of spoofed phone numbers.

    A document commonly attached to the scam email. (Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)
  

Anyone who has been a victim of one of these scam emails by sending money to the fraudster is asked to contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368.