Calhoun County Man Scammed Out Of $5,000 In Gift Cards

A Calhoun County man is out several thousand dollars after he fell victim to scammers pretending to be law enforcement.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the victim contacted the Notawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Friday and said he had been contacted by someone claiming to be a federal agent; the caller said that a car had been rented in the victim’s name and been stopped in Texas in connection to a drug investigation. They were then contacted by someone spoofing the Sheriff’s Office’s number, who said they were sheriff’s deputies and said that the victim needed to go and buy gift cards at local stores.

They did so, and then handed over the information on those cards to the alleged deputies; all told, the victim handed over $5,000 before the victim realized the contacts were a scam.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind people that Caller ID can be spoofed and made to look legitimate, even when it’s not. The Sheriff’s Office says that they don’t conduct business in this manner, and that neither they nor any other law enforcement agency will call and ask you to pay fines and costs by phone.

If you're ever in doubt, you can look up law enforcement numbers in the phone book or on the internet and give them a call.