(Dodge County) A con artist is claiming to be the with Dodge County Sheriff’s Office. In a press release, Sheriff Dale Schmidt said that his office was recently made aware of a scam with the caller telling the victim that there is a warrant for their arrest and they need to report to the Dodge County Jail to pay a bond. The number that was used in the scam was 920-386-3320, which is not a valid sheriff’s office phone number.
Schmidt asks the public not respond to such scare tactics. He says if the public has a question about the validity of a phone call, hang-up and contact the sheriff’s office or your local police department through a phone number that is published in the phone book or on an official website of that agency.
Schmidt called the number and it took him to a phone tree, which does not belong to the sheriff’s office, pressed one of the options and was transferred to a male subject. The sheriff asked the person’s name and he refused to give it. When Schmidt identified himself to the scammer, the conman hung up.
Schmidt called the number back, got the same person, who he immediately began swearing and telling the sheriff to leave him alone while he was at his job. Schmidt told him not use the name of the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and the scammer hung up again. Since then, no additional contact has been made with the suspected scammer.
Schmidt encourages anyone victimized by this scam, especially those who lost money, to contact the actual sheriff’s office at 920-386-3726 and report it to a deputy.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is another resource for questions or to report an incident that does not involve money being exchanged:
https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Publications/ImposterScams214.aspx
https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Publications/SeniorsPhoneScams283.aspx
