OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — A Douglas County woman shares her close call with a scammer impersonating a sheriff's deputy, as authorities warn these phone scams are on the rise in the Omaha area.
- Kathy Koenecke was leaving Costco when she received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
- The scammer left a threatening voicemail: "If you do not establish contact with me, ma'am, in the next 10 minutes, ma'am, because I do need to complete my case file. What I will do, ma'am, I will go ahead and just transfer this file over to that criminal division."
- The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is currently working with the FBI to combat these scams.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Neighbors beware, scammers impersonating law enforcement is on the rise in Douglas County. We spoke to one woman who is sharing her story after nearly falling victim to a phone scam where the caller impersonated a sheriff's deputy and threatened her with arrest.
Kathy Koenecke was leaving Costco when she received a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
"He used his name, a deputy from Douglas County, and he said we had a deputy out at your home, is your address, and he gave my full address he had my full name, obviously had my phone number. And he said, I've got a signature in front of you and you have missed a very, very, very important court date," Koenecke said.
The call immediately made her nervous as the scammer created a sense of urgency and had her personal information.
"There were so many things going through my mind," Koenecke said.
While driving, the caller insisted she pull over immediately, adding to the pressure.
"So he said, You need to pull over, ma'am, and I said, I said I can't. I am driving," she recalled.
Koenecke eventually stopped at a nearby Walgreens and hung up the call. She contacted her husband to meet her there, and they immediately drove to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office to report what happened.
The scammer left a threatening voicemail: "If you do not establish contact with me, ma'am, in the next 10 minutes, ma'am, because I do need to complete my case file. What I will do, ma'am, I will go ahead and just transfer this file over to that criminal division."
According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Unit, these types of calls are increasing in Omaha. Had Koenecke returned the call, she would have reached a fake voicemail claiming to be the sheriff's office, followed by demands for money to clear supposed warrants.
Fortunately, Koenecke never provided any personal information to the scammer.
Law enforcement officials emphasize they will never ask for money over the phone.
"Scammers thrive on high pressure, urgency, and secrecy," DCSO Deputy Michael Dechellis said.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is currently working with the FBI to combat these scams. If you receive a suspicious phone call, authorities recommend hanging up immediately and calling the Douglas County SCAM Tip Line at 402-444-SCAM.
