Scammers pretending to be police, sheriff’s deputies, the FBI, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or jury duty officials. The single most-reported scam in Maryland — and one Marylander recently lost nearly $600,000 to a scammer impersonating the Rockville police chief.
How This Scam Works
A caller tells you they are a Maryland police officer, a sheriff’s deputy, an FBI agent, an IRS agent, or a Social Security Administration officer. They use a real name (often the actual police chief or a real agent — they look it up online before calling). They tell you one of the following: there is a warrant for your arrest, you missed jury duty, your Social Security number was used in a crime, you owe back taxes, or your bank account is being investigated for money laundering.
They pressure you to act immediately. They tell you not to hang up. They tell you not to tell anyone — especially not your family. They demand payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or by transferring your money to a “safe federal holding account.” None of those things are real. No real agency works this way.
The caller ID may say “Montgomery County Police” or “1-800-MEDICARE” or “Social Security Administration.” Caller ID can be faked. Seeing a real number on your screen does not mean a real agency is calling.
What They Actually Say
The script is engineered to do four things: invoke fear (“warrant for your arrest”), invoke authority (“federal”, “Sheriff’s Office”), create urgency (“post bond now”), and isolate you (“do not tell anyone”). Recognize all four and you have already won.
A Real Maryland Story
Rockville, Maryland · Documented in The Baltimore Banner
Judith Boivin, a former nurse from Rockville, received a call in fall 2023 that appeared to come from Rockville’s actual police chief. The caller claimed she was under investigation for fraud and money laundering, and that someone had opened bank accounts using her Social Security number. Suspicious, she went online — and confirmed the police chief’s real name matched the caller’s. The scammer then transferred her to a person impersonating a local FBI agent. Over the course of months, scammers drained nearly her entire life savings.
Wheaton, Maryland · Documented in WYPR
Dolores Miller, 71, of Wheaton, received a call from someone identifying himself as a Montgomery County police officer. He told her there was a warrant for her arrest tied to a murder case because she had failed to respond to subpoenas. She was on the phone with the scammer for five hours; he refused to let her hang up. He instructed her to keep it secret and sent her to a cryptocurrency kiosk to transfer the money. Her husband eventually went to the sheriff’s office in person — only to learn no such investigation existed.
What To Do · What To Never Do
After You Hang Up
This guide covers one of 222 documented scams targeting Maryland’s older adults. Every variant we track lives in the encyclopedia, searchable by name, situation, or what they said to you.
Browse the Full Maryland Scam Encyclopedia →