For the second time in less than a week, local law enforcement has receive multiple reports of someone making bogus phone calls demanding money or face criminal consequences.
College Station police say the scammer is not only altering the caller I-D to show their non-emergency number, they use fake names and identification badge numbers.
And they are also calling CSPD to get the dispatcher to answer to cause the victim to take action…which is paying the scammer through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.
Last week, a similar alert was issued by Texas A&M police. And scammers have also identified themselves with the sheriff’s office, Bryan police, and BTU.
News release from College Station police:
The College Station Police Department has received multiple reports from citizens who have received bogus phone calls from individuals claiming to be with a law enforcement agency. The citizens are receiving calls from Police Department’s non-emergency phone number. This is a tactic used by con artists to make it appear the victim is receiving the call from a law enforcement agency.
The victims are told they have outstanding arrest warrants and payment must be made promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, the impersonators threaten arrest, deportation, etc. In many cases, the callers are reported to become aggressive, hostile and insulting.
These con artists can sound convincing. They use fake names and bogus identification badge numbers. They may also know a lot about the individuals they are targeting. These individuals usually alter the caller ID to make it look as though a government or a law enforcement agency is calling.
These scammers are also calling the College Station Police Department while they have their victim on the same line, so the victim can hear the dispatcher answer, “College Station Police Department,” in an attempt to cause the victim to take action as part of the scam.
A government or law enforcement agencies will never:
-Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about debts owed without first having mailed you a notice.
-Demand that you pay debts without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
-Require you to use a specific payment method for your debts, such as with a prepaid debit card.
-Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.