Local police warn of phone scams claiming outstanding warrant, demanding money

Local law enforcement officials on Tuesday issued the following press release warning of phone scams in which the caller claims to be a police official demanding money for an outstanding warrant:

Local law enforcement agencies have recently received several complaints and taken reports from persons who have fallen victim to a scammer claiming to be an Officer or Sergeant with the Avon Police Department.

The scammer is claiming to be a local officer by name, who is calling about a warrant for their arrest.  The scammer then asks the caller to report to the Avon Police Department at 60 Buck Creek Road and pay $3000.00.

THIS IS A SCAM! PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THE CALLER ANY MONEY, GIFT CARDS and NEVER give out personal information.  If you have a direct concern or have given any form of money or gift cards please call our Dispatch Center at 970.479.2201 to speak to an officer on duty.

Our community continues to receive scam reports regarding scammer’s attempting to gain access to personal accounts and asking for payments to avoid legal actions. Scammers will attempt to contact you by phone, email, tech support, and cell phone texts.

Scammers are posing as officials from local agencies giving actual names of employees from Courts, Sheriff’s Office, Police Departments, Probations, and Sex Offender registrar systems.

Scams can be difficult to recognize and usually end with a stranger gaining access to home computers, personal information, financial accounts, and even convince you to purchase gift cards to send as payments. These scammers can leave families and individuals short thousands of dollars.

A reminder for everyone to stay vigilant especially and to keep alert that a variety of phone and computer scams are continuing to cause concern. Scammers have most recently started to give names of senior members of law enforcement teams. They are threatening arrests and direct payments for funds to remove warrants for failure to appear, for being in contempt of court, and more. This is simply NOT how we do business.

Beware that scammers have technology that can appear to be calling from a local phone number, a local business, or even a law enforcement agency. Just hang-up, call the agency (they claim to be from) back directly, and ask for the person who said they were calling you. 

It is extremely important to NEVER provide financial or personal information to ANYONE over the phone and to visit www.ic3.gov to report any type of computer or phone call scams that seem suspicious or threatening.

If something seems suspicious, hang up and call directly to a trusted source or local agency for confirmation or further information.

The Federal Trade Commission states that “a caller who creates a sense of urgency or uses high-pressure tactics is probably a scam artist”.  Other types of scams can be a “Refund” or “Warranty” scam call when someone calls to ask if you were happy with a service. When you say you weren’t, the scammer offers a refund. Instead of returning money into your account, they withdraw money. Scams are more common today than ever and we urge you to educate yourself before they target you and your family.

For a complete list of the most current and common scams and even ‘Coronavirus Scams’ please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts

To report internet crimes and fraud go to: https://www.ic3.gov

Follow @StopFraudCo on Facebook and Twitter for current scams updates and information.