file photo by Boyd Loving
MAY 15, 2015, 8:04 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The state Division of Consumer Affairs is warning the public about a scam in which con artists are mailing fake arrest warrants issued by the state Attorney General’s Office to intimidate victims into sending money.
In one “arrest warrant” that was sent to a victim, the letterhead states it was issued by the U.S. District Court and that the victim has been charged with criminal violations like “collateral check fraud” and “theft by deception,” the division said in a statement on Thursday.
The letter says the victim faces “a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $24,000” and calls on the victim to pay an “outstanding balance” of $1,876.48. The warrant gives a number with a 609 area code for victims to call to arrange a payment, the division said.
Last month, the division warned that scammers purporting to be representatives of the state Attorney General’s Office were calling victims to demand the payment of nonexistent debts.