NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk Sheriff's Office warns residents of a Green Dot MoneyPak card scam that left one Norfolk woman out of thousands of dollars.
According to officials, a resident was told that she failed to appear at a trial during which she was supposed to be a witness.
The woman told police that the number on the Caller ID returned to the main number for the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office and the caller mentioned the names of several Norfolk Sheriff’s Office personnel during the conversation.
Police say the caller told the woman that she owed multiple fines for failing to appear in court and was instructed to use a Green Dot MoneyPak card to send the money to the sheriff’s office or she would be arrested.
Officials warn residents that this is a scam and they would never call to ask for money. The sheriff's office also will never use Green Dot MoneyPak cards as a form of payment.
Police give the following tips to avoid falling for a scam:
- Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.
- Never give card number and/or receipt information from your MoneyPak purchase to someone you don’t know or share that information by email or phone.
- Government agencies will never contact you demanding immediate payment using a MoneyPak card
If a resident has fallen victim to this scam and sent money to the callers, they should call the Norfolk Police Department's Economic Crimes Division at 757-664-7018 to file a report. Also, contact Deputy Mike Imprevento of the NSO Consumer Protection Unit at info@norfolk-sheriff.com to report the fraud.
