The Gwinnett County Police Department is warning the community of a recent new wave of scam phone calls from people claiming to be police officers, usually using the name of a real officer obtained from the internet. Variations on this scam include pretending to be a utility that will terminate service if payment isn’t received, a relative who has been arrested and needs money for bail, or the victim has an outstanding warrant/ticket that must be paid immediately. Other scams include saying they are the IRS and back taxes are owed, a pre-approved loan is available or a lottery has been won if the victim will send a small start-up fee, or an immigration authority claims a person will be deported if payment isn’t received.
The common thread is that suspects ask for payment on prepaid debit cards (such as Green Dot), gift cards, cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin), or wire transfer, which are appealing to criminals because the money is difficult to track, if not impossible. A recent trend is a demand for cash to be sent via FedEx.
Scammers are using a computer program to make caller I.D. show a legitimate agency’s phone number, or any other number they want, which makes the scam more believable. Gwinnett Police will never ask for any payment over the phone.
Citizens are warned to be suspicious of anyone calling and demanding immediate payment. Ask for the caller’s identity and independently contact the agency. Do not call the number that appears on your caller I.D. Do not disclose personal or financial information to unsolicited callers or by email. Do not wire money or provide bank account numbers or financial transaction card numbers (credit, debit, Green Dot, or any other prepaid card) to anyone you don’t know.
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