Scammer gets more than they bargained for in Luzerne County
NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A warning about a scam that is sweeping across the region. People are receiving calls from scammers demanding thousands of dollars to resolve a supposed outstanding arrest warrant, but a scammer got more than he bargained for when he called a Luzerne County man.
The man he was trying to rip off was a district judge
The scammer called Luzerne County District Judge Don Whittaker who knows a little something about arrest warrants and how the legal system works.
PD: Shots fired outside of Airbnb in the Poconos
Whittaker says he received a call from a man Tuesday morning.
That call came to his personal cell phone. The caller said he was calling from the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department regarding an arrest warrant for Whittaker for failing to appear as a witness before a grand jury.
He demanded $2,500 to clear that warrant, Whittaker tells the I-Team.
I said ‘Do you know who you are calling? I’m a district judge.’ There was silence and then he hung up. He called the wrong guy!
Luzerne County District Judge Don Whittaker
“What we’ve been seeing lately, warrant for your arrest calls because you’re missing jury duty. We don’t ask for money for these types of things,” said Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.
Sanguedolce gave 28/22 News a copy of the fake arrest warrant that had been sent to residents across the area. He says it looks like the real deal.
“So the bottom line is if somebody contacts you by phone, email, or text message and says there is a warrant for your arrest or there is a fine because you missed jury duty..it’s a scam,” Sanguedolce explained.
“What do you think when you look at this?” 28/22 I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick asked.
“Wow. This really looks like it’s real,” Linda Joseph with Rolling Mill Hill Neighborhood Association replied.
Linda Joseph heads up a neighborhood group in wilkes-barre..She is getting the word out in the city for people to be alert for this scam.
“We’ve seen a lot. They’re very inventive with the way they do scams anymore. Everything looks real, whether it’s in the mail or if you get phone calls. If you get a phone call but anybody is asking for money over the phone, it’s a scam,” Joseph continued.
The I-Team has confirmed that at least two people have fallen victim to this scam and are out thousands of dollars.
If you do receive a call like this, District Attorney Sangeudolce advises that you hang up immediately and file a report with your local or state police.
Sanguedolce admits catching these scammers is virtually impossible because many of them operate out of the country.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
