New warnings just in; these come from law enforcement, which seems to indicate they are taking this seriously:
North Carolina; November: https://www.salisburypost.com/2022/11/04/recent-scam-targets-registered-sex-offenders/
Michigan; November: https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/Sex-offenders-target-of-scam-caller-Michigan-17616236.php
These are the ones I have identified. If you know of one in a state not here, send a link to a 2022 news article to communications@narsol.org
Virginia; July: https://www.wakg.com/2022/07/27/vsp-warns-of-sex-offender-phone-scam/
Tennessee; June:https://www.greenevillesun.com/news/local_news/sex-offender-registry-scams-widespread-in-state/article_4b83fef2-ed9a-11ec-822c-3f0177e9866b.html
Alaska; March: https://www.akp.uscourts.gov/2022/03/21/news/us-marshals-and-alaska-state-troopers-warn-scam
Michigan; March: https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/sheriff-scam-going-around-targeting-sex-offenders
Louisiana; February: https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2022/02/23/ouachita-parish-phone-scam-targeting-registered-sex-offenders/6914245001/
Kansas; January: https://www.kwch.com/2022/01/20/wichita-police-warn-sex-trafficking-phone-scam/
Ohio; January: https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/01/14/ashtabula-county-sheriffs-office-warns-scam-targeting-registered-sex-offenders/
Texas; January: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/convicted-sex-offenders-the-latest-targeted-in-gift-card-payment-scam/2875187/
2021 and earlier:
June 2021: New Scam Warning out of Virginia: “The Virginia State Police issued the latest of its “be-on-the-lookout” warnings for telephone scams Wednesday, but this time, the audience being targeted is convicted sex offenders.”
March 2021: The scams are still alive across the country. Our Texas affiliate has been especially diligent in warning her members about these scams and how they work. She recently received this email from a member detailing exactly what happened to him.
I need to let you and any registered citizens know the scam you notified us about a few months ago (thank you so much) is now occurring to registered citizens in Grand Prairie, Texas. “A warrant has been issued for your arrest because you did not summit a new DNA sample at your last registration. A new sample has to be given every 2 years. I can send a police car to your home to arrest you or you can drive to the police station right now and give the sample.” (Of course most people would drive themselves). I was told to keep him on the phone all the time until I got to the station. He wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to keep from being arrested when I got there: drivers license, registration card, and money for a $1200 surety bond. I needed to post a bond so they wouldn’t arrest me since a warrant was already issued. I told him I only had $20 on me and owned no credit or debit card since I was on social security (I lied to him because this was sounding very familiar) . I said I would just have to be arrested and they could put the $20 on my books at the jail. HE HUNG UP. ( He had the date I last registered and the officers’ names that handle the registration. He claimed to be a detective that I found out had passed away 3 years ago.)
A report was filed at the police station about this scam.
8/30/20 A FRIGHTENING SCAM UPDATE FROM FLORIDA:
ATTENTION Florida based RSO’s: I received a call and they said they were from the Sheriff’s Office of my County and they needed to talk with me. I sent a text asking what the problem was. Immediately a call came in ID: Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). The person identified themselves as a Officer and stated I had a non compliance issue as I missed a DNA test and a felony warrant was issued. He said the bond was a $45,000.00 and I could pay 10%, take the DNA test and then wear an ankle bracelet until my hearing came up. He quoted my Registrant and DOC numbers. I freaked out and decided to drive into OCSO to take care of this.
On the way he told me to find a CVS to obtain a pre-paid credit card and then I could bond out through the jail’s kiosk. I decided this was crazy and hung up. I then called OCSO and they instructed me this was a common scam.
I then drove over to my police station and had a officer check my license for warrants. There were none of course. I have reported all this to the FTC which handles Government and Federal scams. But what is new here is that they found my RSO Flyer on-line and used that information to perpetrate a crime against me. They knew of my Offenses, DOC info and last Registration dates. So therefore the elaborate scheme sounded official as hell.
So be warned Florida and elsewhere.. now there is another sex offender scam out there.
JEV, True Confessions
6/4/20 ADDING HAWAII TO THE LIST: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/06/03/breaking-news/hawaii-attorney-general-warns-of-bogus-sex-offender-payment-scam/
5/8/20 TENNESSEE BEING HIT AGAIN; https://newschannel9.com/news/local/hcso-phone-scam-targeting-sex-offenders-at-least-one-swindled-out-of-3000
1/24/20 UPDATE: ADDING IOWA, ANOTHER NEW STATE FOR US; SEE MEDIA REPORT BELOW
1/23/20 UPDATE: FIRST REPORT IN LOUISIANA OF WHICH WE ARE AWARE; SEE MEDIA REPORT BELOW
1/2/20: NEW MEDIA REPORTS ADDED BELOW
12/9 UPDATE: FIRST REPORT OF SCAM ACTIVITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA; ADDING SC TO OUR LIST BELOW.
11/25 UPDATE: FIRST REPORT OF SCAM ACTIVITY IN KENTUCKY; SEE MEDIA REPORT BELOW.
10/2 UPDATE: FIRST REPORT OF SCAM ACTIVITY IN MINNESOTA; 9/29/19UPDATE: ACTIVITY REPORTED IN ARKANSAS; SEE NEWS ARTICLE BELOW; 9/10 NEW UPDATE: FIRST REPORT IN ILLINOIS OF SCAM ACTIVITY 8/5: NEW UPDATE: NEW ACTIVITY IN TEXAS AND FIRST REPORTS OF ACTIVITY IN TENNESSEE. 7/31/19 UPDATE: Scammer activity has increased in FLORIDA. BE AWARE; BE ALERT.
2/27/19: Adding North Carolina. Repeating the warning: If you get a call from someone saying he is with law enforcement, that you are out of compliance, or overdue, or anything to do with your registration status and that he can help you take care of it, it is a scam. Hang up and call your registry office or local law enforcement. This has been going on for well over a year. We have just today gotten word that it is operating in Pennsylvania.
Variations have developed where registrants are called and told a family member is arrested and needs help. Be on the alert no matter what state you are in. Reported in Virginia: https://wtvr.com/2019/03/26/scammed-sex-offenders-call-virginia-state-police-for-help/
This is a list of states, revised to include all as they occur, from where we have had reports. Contact NARSOL if you learn of it being in a state not listed here.
ARKANSAS; CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW MEXICO, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TEXAS, TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA
Here are a few media stories from various states:
NEW IN IOWA 1/23/20: https://www.clintonherald.com/news/scam-targets-registered-sex-offenders/article_40e5fdda-3e22-11ea-ac22-5fc2d88c64cb.html
New in LA 1/22/20: https://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/dont-fall-for-it-law-enforcement-warns-of-new-text-message-phishing-scams/
NEW in KY 11/24: https://www.wtvq.com/2019/11/24/ksp-registered-sex-offenders-targeted-scam-calls/
https://wwjnewsradio.radio.com/articles/police-scam-targets-registered-sex-offenders
