Danville Resident Loses $80,000 To Scammers

DANVILLE, CA — Police are warning Danville about phone scams after a resident recently lost $80,000.

People should be wary of any calls involving: an incarcerated relative who needs bail money; a computer virus that can be resolved with payment; a police department representative who says criminal charges can be cleared with payment; a lottery or sweepstakes claiming you won cash but need to pay taxes; and government agencies saying you need to pay money to resolve an issue, the Danville Police Department said.

Scammers may also ask for payment in the form of gift cards, Bitcoin or wire transfer, police said.

Scammers can alter the caller ID displayed on your phone, hiding their identity. When in doubt, hang up and call police to verify, police said.

No government agency will ever call people to request payment, police said.

Learn more about scams here and here. Anyone with questions may reach police at 925-314-3700.