Phone Scammers Pose As Sarasota Police Officers

SARASOTA, FL — Phone scammers targeting city residents and visitors are posing as members of the Sarasota Police Department.

Over the last two weeks, at least three different suspects have called victims in Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota, claiming to be officers with the agency, police said. The scammers told their victims that if they don’t pay a certain amount of money, they’ll be charged with fictitious crimes.

Sarasota police warns people to never give personal identifying information over the phone and to always ask questions of the person calling. Local law enforcement agencies would never request money over the phone, over the internet or in person, police said.

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Those who have been a victim of this or any other phone scam should call SPD’s Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or the department’s non-emergency line at 941-316-1199.