CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Chillicothe Police Department is warning residents about a phone and email scam in which a caller impersonated court officials and demanded bond money to avoid arrest.
The department said in a Facebook post that a resident received a call from a number matching the Ross/Chillicothe Law Enforcement Complex. The caller told the resident they had missed a court date, then emailed them what appeared to be a copy of an arrest warrant out of the United States District Court. The caller demanded bond money to keep the resident out of jail, according to the department.
Police said residents should be skeptical of any call or email that asks for credit or debit card numbers, gift card numbers, wire transfers or bank routing numbers for any purpose, or that asks for sensitive personal information such as a date of birth or Social Security number.
The department said calls and emails that threaten recipients with fines or jail time if they do not immediately comply are fraudulent. Courts and law enforcement agencies do not collect bond money over the phone or through gift cards, and legitimate court business is handled in person or through official court channels, not by unsolicited phone calls demanding immediate payment.
Anyone who receives a similar call or email is encouraged to hang up or disregard the message and contact the Chillicothe Police Department directly using a verified phone number rather than any number provided by the caller.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Chillicothe Police Department.
