The Middletown Township Police Department recently warned residents to be vigilant against the rash of scams that typically occur during this month.
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According to the department, neighboring police departments have already experienced a surge in scams, and Middletown Township has not been immune.
One recent incident involved a complainant who received a call from an individual claiming to be “Officer Brian Webb from the Middletown Township police,” telling her that she had a warrant for her arrest and needed to turn herself in the next day, police said in a social media post.
The caller ID showed “Township Police,” with the call appearing to originate from the Bucks County 9-1-1 non-emergency number. However, the number was later confirmed to have been spoofed, police said.
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The township resident, suspicious of the call, contacted a neighbor who is a sergeant at the department. The sergeant confirmed his neighbor had no warrants that had been issued, police said.
The department does have an Officer Webb, but the officer’s first name is not Brian, police said.
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The department urged residents to hang up on any suspicious calls and to contact the organization or company at a known, verified number.
“During any questionable phone call, hang up, and call the number you KNOW to be associated with that company or organization and NOT the one provided to you. Spoofed numbers are very common to try and prove legitimacy, and makes tracking it back to someone extremely difficult,” said the department in a statement.
The Federal Trade Commission issued the following tips on how to avoid scams:
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1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations.
They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.
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2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer.
Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information.
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Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but have to pay a fee to get it.
3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story.
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They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.
They often insist that you pay by using cryptocurrency, by wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back.
Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money.
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