Key West The Newspaper

The Key West Police Department is warning the community to be wary of a recurring scam in which a caller is identifying himself as a law enforcement officer and directing his victim to pay alleged court costs or fines.

On November 30th, the most recent victim was contacted several times by a man identifying himself as a deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The caller told his victim she owed several thousand dollars in court costs, and told her the only way to settle was to purchase Money Pak cards.

In years past, other version of this scam have been perpetrated locally. Please know that no law enforcement officer will ever call someone and solicit money – ever.

This is a reminder that law enforcement officers will never call and insist on payment to avoid arrest. It’s also a reminder that, as convincing as the scammer’s story is, never give out critical personal information over the phone. And if someone insists you wire or transfer money, be very wary. Always check to find out if the caller is legitimate.

Scammers will often use personal information about you to convince you they are legitimate – they might have your address, phone number, names and addresses of relatives. They will try to rush you into action – they don’t want you to have time to consult anyone. They use high pressure tactics and, if you are on the phone with you they will try to keep you on the phone until the scam is complete.

Many scams incorporate some type of cash cards – green dot cards, gift cards – because that is a quick way for you to send them cash and, once they have the card number, the money is theirs and is virtually untraceable.

If you suspect a scam, please call the Key West Police Department at 305-809-1000.