Source: ACSOL
It has been reported that false government documents were used this week in a scam operation netting almost $10,000 from a registrant. The false documents reportedly required the registrant to pay a large sum of money in order to avoid arrest.
The false government documents included an “Order of Arrest” from Riverside County that appeared to be signed by both a judge and a police sergeant. The false documents also included a document from the Office of the Governor and the California Sex Offender Management Board.
“The use of false government documents is an escalation of past practices when registrants were threatened with arrest on the phone,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In both instances, scammers preyed upon registrants by demanding money be paid to prevent a return to custody.”
In this week’s scam, the registrant was provided information regarding how to purchase bitcoin and then use the bitcoin to pay the scammers. It is unlikely that the registrant can successfully recoup the money that was paid.
Scammer docs – REDACTED – Aug 202208032022
How do people keep falling for something like this? The court/cops will never give you any slack if you pay them (if you’re going to be arrested, you’re going to be arrested, and you can’t make pre-emptive bail). And literally no government agency will want any payment in a form of gift cards or crypto currency.
It’s simple.
If some oddball payment method is demanded/suggested, it’s a scam.
If it purports to come from a legitimate agency, look up their number on the internet and call and ask them. Yes, I know, interacting with “the man/the system” is often painful and stressful, but when they tell you to ignore the scammer it takes a load off your mind.
Once you have a load off of your mind, you might be able to think up entertaining things to do like invite the scammer to meet you at police HQ to get their due. Call the desk officer and let them know who is coming and why.
No sympathy.
He’s a registrant that has that much extra money, but doesn’t have the brain power to realize something is wrong there?
Also, despite the evidence in the story being to the contrary, I’m pretty confident that every registrant is aware of whether or not they’re in compliance with their registration requirements.
Also, I get something like this first thing I’m doing is contacting the detective at the cop shop where I’m registered and asking, “WTF is this all about?”
(You might have to modify that approach with your registering officer if, unlike my guy, he or she is not so much of a human-effing-being)
And I doubt he’s going to respond with, “Oh yeah, SURPRISE! We have a new registration requirement we decided not to tell you about and instead just get an arrest warrant for you.”
I don’t know if that dude is on probation or parole or not, but if he is, in addition to a PO, he needs a conservator
SMH
Looks like an inside job.
The state of CA should be sued by this registrant. The registry was used against this registrant, who is no longer under custody. Since CA is in charge of the registry and the registrant is forced to participate under penalty of law, then CA is at fault and must pay the damages incurred plus extra damages for this specific registrant.
It’s kinda like being in jail. Yes, you have to serve your time there, but if anything wrong that happens in jail, then the jail/state is liable for all damages. The state and PC 290 should no longer have a free pass whenever registrants are done wrong, labelling it as collateral consequences. It’s not collateral consequences, it’s direct consequence brought on only by the state of CA for implementing the registry scheme.
In fact, anything done against a registrant in CA makes the state of CA liable since registrants are forced to be under that scheme under penalty of law. Enforce 290 to its fullest extent! Registrants are under custody of PC 290.
I hate to be mean but if you fall for this scam, you’re a MORON. (cue Gilbert Gottfried screaming this in Problem Child 2).
Geez Louise, people. Cops aren’t going to meet you in a parking lot, or have you buy giftcards, GreenDots, BitCoins, Amazon/Walmart gift cards, etc. If there’s a warrant out for your arrest, then they’ll come arrst you or wait until you come register.
TK
I was almost a victim of this very same scam, also in Riverside County. Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out. Once the subject of money came up, I knew this couldn’t be real. I hung up. Called the number 30 minutes later. It was disconnected.