Ionia County Sheriff’s Department Warns Residents Of Phone Scam

Ionia County Deputies are warning the community of a phone scam wherein people are being asked to send money from their bank accounts to avoid being arrested.

One potential victim of the scam contacted the sheriff’s department after she received a call from someone claiming to be from the department. The person on the phone told her that if she didn't send them $4,000 through her bank, she would be arrested. Luckily, the woman who received the call did not send any money and contacted the authorities right away.

The sheriff's department states that law enforcement will not collect bond money for arrest warrants over the phone. Anyone who is asked to pay any amount of money to avoid being arrested is the target of a scam.

These calls appear to have originated from a telephone number belonging to the sheriff's office, but that is not where they originated from. These calls usually originate from overseas and scammers will often have a foreign accent and ask for either a direct bank account transfer, Western Union wire transfer, or the purchase of a Green Dot card.

If you receive a call like this, DO NOT SEND MONEY and call the Ionia County Sheriff’s department at 616-527-0400.