ACSO - News Release

PITTSBURGH, PA – Over the last few months, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous calls involving a telephone scam. The caller, who identifies himself as a representative from Paul Walker Law Firm in California, has told victims they had an outstanding debt that needed to be satisfied immediately. The representative demands that the victim purchase gift cards from Wal-Mart and then contact the law firm with the bar code numbers on the back of the card(s). Furthermore, if the debt is not satisfied, a warrant would be issued and the Sheriff’s Office would arrest the victim.

Sheriff Mullen would like to clarify that this is a telephone scam and this is not the legal procedure for collecting debt. If anyone receives a suspicious phone call demanding money, specifically the purchase of gift cards, he urges them to contact the Attorney General’s Pittsburgh Office at 412-565-5134 or toll free at 1-800-441-2555 and report the crime.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 7, 2011

CONTACT: William P. Mullen, Sheriff, 412-350-4711

PHONY DEBT COLLECTION SCAM HITS ALLEGHENY COUNTY