LWTPD recently took a report of a phone scam. Scammer said they had an Arrest Warrant for the Complainant and tried to get them to buy gift cards over the phone. The caller ID came up as a nearby Police Department (which is called spoofing). The Complainant did buy the cards and gave the numbers over the phone and then realized too late it was a scam.

Things to Remember:

• Police DO NOT Request that payment of any kind be made over the phone.
• Police also NEVER ask people to go and buy gift cards so payment can be made.
• If there is a warrant out for your arrest the police or constable may ask you to report to the MDJ office (In our case Judge Fishel’s office) to surrender.
• People can verify if Officers’ are who they say they are by checking the police website or calling the department directly and asking to speak to the supervisor on duty.
• If it is the local police, request whoever you are speaking with to have a uniformed officer respond to your location. That will generally expose a scammer.