Delta Police are issuing another warning about a phone scam where a caller pretends to be a police officer and demands money in exchange for a supposed warrant being dismissed.
Police say they have received several reports of the scam, where the caller tells the potential victim they have outstanding warrants for an unpaid debt, missed jury duty or some other infraction — and that a fine is due.
The caller tries to convince the potential victim to wire money, or send pre-paid credit cards in order to have the fictitious warrant dismissed.
If the victim doesn’t comply, the caller threatens to throw them in jail.
Police say so far no one has fallen victim to the scam and no money has been lost.
They say if the scammer is caught, they could face charges of fraud and impersonation of a police officer, however, these scams typically originate out of country and are therefore difficult to prosecute.
If you do receive a call like this, here are some reminders from Delta Police:
- Police will not typically inform people of arrest warrants by phone, and will never ask for money in exchange for a legal matter to be dealt with
- If you are suspicious of a phone call from anyone claiming to be a police officer, ask for the name and Badge/ID number of the officer calling and the name of the police department they claim to be from
- A legitimate police officer attending to your residence or phoning you will not object to you verifying their identity through the main line of the police station
- Never wire transfer money to someone you do not know
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