Danvers Residents Urged To Avoid Firefighter Imposter Scam

DANVERS, MA — The Danvers Fire Department is the latest municipal department on the North Shore dealing with imposters calling residents asking for donations or payments on its behalf.

The Danvers Fire Fighters Local 2038 issued a warning to residents that the calls requesting donations are not coming from anyone who represents the firefighters, the department or the union.

"These calls should be considered fraudulent," Local 2038 said.

Earlier this week, Swampscott police said they received reports on both Monday and Tuesday from
residents who said they are receiving calls and messages from officers at the department — identified by name — requesting the payments.

The Essex County Sheriff's Office reported scammers were using its office in a similar scam earlier this month.

North Shore police departments remind residents that they will never request fines, fees or other payments be made in the form of a gift card.

"We're coming up on the Christmas season when more of these scams seem to come up," Beverly Police Chief John LeLacheur said at a presentation to the Beverly City Council earlier this fall. "Nobody is ever going to call you from the Beverly Police Department and tell you there is a warrant out for your arrest. The IRS doesn't do that. Banks do not call you and ask you to give them your financial information — they already have that.

"And no one is ever, ever, ever going to ask you to pay anything (legitimate) with a gift card. So if someone tells you to go to the grocery store and buy $400 worth of gift cards to pay your utility bill, don't do it."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)