New wave of scammers claiming to be with the Denver Sheriff’s Department

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Several people living in Denver have come forward about a new wave of scam calls with the caller claiming to be with the Denver Sheriff’s Department.

The victims of this scheme say what is most alarming is how authentic it sounds, and how much information scammers have on the person they are calling.

This type of call usually starts the same way. Someone on the other line says they are with the Denver Sheriff’s Department, will say their name and then proceed to rattle off their badge number.

“Which, right off the bat, puts you on guard,” said Trisha Ntalianis, a Denver resident. She received her call on Friday, and said the man had a southern accent and an authoritative tone.

“Then, he starts talking about how you … received a summons … for grand jury duty or something like that and that I had not shown up for it and that, due to that, there were citations that had been filed against me,” Ntalianis explained.

Jeanne Johnston also received a similar call several weeks ago, only the caller had tried to reach her three times, even leaving a voice message.

“I was like, okay, this is the third time this person’s called so I’m going to call them back,” Johnston said. “I called them back and they were spot on about all of my information: ‘We delivered it on this date, we got your signature, you didn’t show up, this is the citations that you have.’ They gave me numbers on the citations and they told me exactly how much I owed and it was well over ten grand.”

“I was in tears,” Ntalianis said. “Because you think that you are going to jail.”

Detection of scams harder, but red flags noticed

Both Denver residents said they are usually able to detect scams, but this one felt much more real. However, there was one thing the caller said that raised red flags.

“He transferred me to his supervisor and the supervisor said, ‘No, you need to pay these fines now or else we’re going to come and arrest you,'” Johnston said.

For Johnston and Ntalianis, the caller demanded money over the phone. In some cases, the caller asked to meet the person in a public setting with cash. According to the Denver Police Department, back in February, a caller received a similar phone call and the suspect told the victim that she needed to pay $3,000 and to do so by withdrawing cash and then going to a nearby grocery store to deposit it using the CoinStar machine’s crypto option .

Johnston and Ntalianis contacted the police shortly after hanging up with the callers and were told it was certainly a scam.

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, you will never be asked for your social security number by email or over the phone, and, if you miss jury duty, you will never be required to wire money or gift cards to avoid immediate arrest.

The Denver police say this type of call where someone is posing as someone from the Denver Sheriff’s Department has been going on for at least a few months, but with this new surge in calls, it continues to pose a new threat.

The Denver District Attorney said a Denver deputy will never request payment for not appearing in court, nor make any contact by phone. A deputy would also never suggest meeting someone on the street to pay cash or wire money.

Denver police tell residents that if they do receive a call from any government agent or someone in law enforcement demanding money, it’s always best to hang up and report it. Ntalianis suggested if you are unsure whether or not someone is attempting to scam you, call the office they are supposedly representing. It’s a tactic law enforcement has promoted as well.

“Don’t have them give you a phone number. Just say, ‘I will look up the phone number off the internet and I will call back.’ That’s the only way you know something is real,” she said.

If an individual posing as a law enforcement agent calls you and demands payment for alleged warrants, report it by calling 720-913-2000, which is Denver police’s non-emergency contact line, or the Denver District Attorney Fraud Line at 720-913-9179.

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