SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 25, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department is warning the public of a scam that involves callers claiming to be law enforcement officials.
The scammers appear to be using the phone numbers of the SLCPD, according to a news release. They claim they are federal law enforcement, and that local police will be coming to their place of residence to arrest them.
The scammers say they will make contact again to arrange how to avoid the arrest. The second contact will be asking for money to avoid arrest. Several reports of this scam have been received recently in the Salt Lake City area, police said.
“Neither the federal government nor the Salt Lake City Police will contact you by phone and ask for money to avoid arrest,” the news release says. “This is a scam. Please call your local law enforcement only if you have become a victim of this scam.”
The SLCPD has the following scam-related advice for the public:
- Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay for services only after they are delivered.
- Be wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any paper trail of who they are or where they can be reached.
- Never send money or give out personal information — such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers — to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.
- Be aware that your personal information is often brokered to telemarketers through third parties.
- If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.
If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.
Further tips to avoid common fraud schemes, can be found here. The SLCPD can be reached on 801-799-3000.
