- The Shelby County Sheriff's Office is warning citizens about a phony "captain"
- A caller identifies himself as a sheriff's office captain, and asks for debit card information
- The caller also tries to lure you to a Southeast Memphis house
Seventy-year-old Memphian James Penny says he got a call Sunday from a man who identified himself as Captain Tyrone Banks with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office Fraud Unit.� The caller informed Penny that his debit card had been used at Target and Exxon stores, and wanted Penny to read his debit card information to the "captain" over the phone to make sure it was the same account.
"That didn't make any sense to me," Penny said.� "I already had my checking account pulled up on the computer and there had been no attempts, so I had figured out then it wasn't right."
The caller also wanted Penny to meet him at a home on Valley Oak Drive in Southeast Memphis, where a raid was supposed to happen to recover the $800 worth of merchandise apparently purchased with Penny's debit card.
"I could hear all the police radios and stuff in the background.� He was supposedly talking to someone while he was talking to me, telling them to get dressed out because this is going to be an armed and dangerous kind of situation," Penny said.
When Penny refused to comply, the man hung up.� Penny called the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, which confirmed that it was a scam.� First, authorities say the SCSO does not have a fraud unit.� Also, there is no one employed there named Tyrone Banks.� The Sheriff's Office will never ask for credit card information over the phone, and would not meet with someone at a random address.
"We live in a society unfortunately where people live to defraud others by any means necessary.� But to use the name of a law enforcement agency to perpetrate your crime is about as low as you can go," said Shelby County Sheriff's Spokesman Chip Washington.
News Channel 3 went to the Southeast Memphis home where the raid was supposed to take place, but no one would come to the door.
Penny said "Tyrone Banks" called back a second time, but hung up again.� Penny believes the caller was not only trying to get his personal information, but possibly trying to set him up to be victimized in another way.
"There's such a thing as just trying to get someone out of the house so they can go break in your house, or maybe to rob me or go to an ATM," Penny said.� "It gives you a very apprehensive feeling.� He knows where I live.� He could come try a home invasion or be watching my house," he added.
At least one other Memphian received the same phone call, but did not fall for the scam.� If you get a similar call, contact the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
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