Fairfield Police Warn Residents Of Fake Court Warrant Phone Scam

FAIRFIELD, CT — Someone who is pretending to be a member of the Fairfield Police Department is calling residents in a phony court warrant scam, prompting the department to issue a warning to be on the lookout for such activity.

"The recipient of the call is told they missed a court appearance or a jury duty summons and that as a result, a warrant for their arrest has been issued," wrote Sgt. Michael Stahl in a statement. "In the past, calls like these have also appeared on Caller ID to be from the Fairfield Police Department."

How many such calls have been reported to the department was not disclosed, but Stahl said that the Caller ID may be "spoofed" or altered to appear as if they are coming from the Fairfield Police Department.

"The Fairfield Police Department does not generally call individuals regarding active arrest warrants and never calls anyone regarding missed court appearances," Stahl said.

These types of calls usually result in the scammer trying to solicit money for bond, and threatening the recipient with immediate arrest if the bond is not paid. The Fairfield Police Department does not take bond payment over the phone, and bonds are only ever accepted following an arrest, not to prevent one.

"We encourage any resident who is contacted by an unknown individual and is asked for money to contact the Fairfield Police Department if they are concerned or in doubt about the legitimacy of the call," Stahl said. "Odds are, the call is a scam with the purpose of extorting individuals for money."

Anyone receiving such a call is urged to contact the Fairfield Police Department at 203-254-4800.

Earlier in February, the department also warned elderly residents about a different, but similar, phone scam.

For more information on protecting yourself and family from falling victims to scams, visit the department's website.