In Olathe, they are dealing with the extreme version of a scam that has, at the very least, caused some consternation for many Kansans.
It seems that Johnson County lawmen are trying to warn their local residents to watch out for scam artists who claim to be Johnson County lawmen.
According to the Associated Press report, “people falsely claiming to be deputies have stolen thousands of dollars from area businesses.
“The scam involves a phone caller to a business, asking to speak to the manager. The caller says he’s a deputy and wants to get bail money for a business employee who’s been arrested and is in jail.”
They are trying to make sure people know that the cops don’t make calls like this.
Most of us haven’t received that level of a call, but many have, over the years, received calls from telemarketers masquerading as law enforcement officers. They make the suggestion that they are calling “from” this agency or that one and if you dare to suggest that you know most of the local lawmen and ask when they joined the force, you get the run around.
While it may be true that they are doing a service that might ultimately benefit a law enforcement agency, let’s face it, they are NOT local cops.
It’s crucial that, no matter how good the cause, we do not accept people passing themselves off as law enforcement agents in any way at all, especially since there are places, like Johnson County, where the public’s trust in local law enforcement is threatened by such scams.
— Chuck Smith