Crime & Safety

Police Warn Of New Phone Scam Reported By Residents

A caller posing as a Vestavia Hills police officer is calling residents to get them to pay an unpaid ticket.

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - Phone scams have become more prevalent than ever, and the holiday season seems to bring the scammers out in larger numbers. The Vestavia Hills Police Department has recently been made aware of a phone scam involving a caller posing as a Vestavia police officer.

According to the VHPD, a citizen reported that they got a call from a subject stating they were a Vestavia Hills Police officer and that the VHPD had a warrant on them that needed taken care of right away. The phony detective gave a name and told the subject to call a 1-800 number where "they will be directed to forward funds to take care of the warrant."

The caller ID shows VHPD's real number, 20-823-1153, but the VHPD says this "spoofing" of a police department number is not uncommon in these types of scams. "VHPD would never send you to a 1-800 number for any reason," the statement by the VHPD said.

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If anyone gets a call like this please contact the VHPD at 823-1153 so a report can be filed.

Find out what's happening in Vestavia Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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