Scammers are calling Ingham County residents and claiming to be Lt. Bray Donsheu of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office, telling them a warrant has been issued for their arrest, Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth's office warned Wednesday, Aug. 12.
The callers direct victims to drive to the sheriff's office. When they arrive or get close, the scammer changes course, claiming they cannot meet in person and instructing victims to buy gift cards and provide the card numbers over the phone.
The sheriff's office said scammers can falsify the name that appears on caller ID, making the call look legitimate. Donsheu is a real lieutenant with the department whose name is being used without his knowledge or consent.
"No legitimate law enforcement officer will call to request payment," the sheriff's office said in its social media warning reported by WILX.
A pattern stretching back more than a year
Wednesday's alert is at least the seventh time the Ingham County Sheriff's Office has publicly warned residents about law enforcement impersonation scams since May 2025. Each wave uses a different fake name.
In May 2025, the office warned of a caller posing as "Sgt. Ford." By November 2025, scammers had adopted "Captain Robert Earle" and "Sgt. John Willchild." In January 2026, one caller demanded $75,000 in cash for an alleged federal warrant tied to missed jury duty. A February 2026 alert described a scammer calling himself "Lieutenant Dan Green" who asked victims to meet at a convenience store and pay in bitcoin.
Most recently before Wednesday's warning, the office flagged callers using the names "Sgt. Johnson," "Sgt. Hicks" and "Corporal Ryan Hagar" on May 27 — none of whom are real employees.
"No law enforcement agency would call you and make these types of demands," the sheriff's office posted on its verified X account in that May 27 warning.
The Lansing Police Department issued its own scam alert in December 2024 after callers using a 517 area code impersonated current and former Lansing officers.
How to protect yourself
The sheriff's office advises residents who receive a suspicious call to:
- Hang up immediately.
- Never purchase gift cards, bitcoin or cash at a caller's direction.
- Remember that real law enforcement will never demand payment by phone.
- Report the call to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
Residents who believe they have been targeted can contact the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
