E-mail Scam Gives Bad Information on Emergency Numbers, Police Say

Police are warning residents to disregard an e-mail circulating with claims that dialing 112 from a mobile phone will connect callers with emergency services, even if no cell signal is available.

According to an advisory from , the e-mail claims a call placed to 112 “will be diverted to a satellite signal” in areas where there is no reception. Police said the claims are unfounded and should be ignored.

“If you receive this e-mail, please do not forward it to others,” police said in the advisory. “The false information the message contains could ultimately lead to confusion and dangerous diversion during a real emergency situation. The message should be deleted.”

The e-mail circulated in London in 2005 and recently found its way to the United States, police said. 112 or 999 are Europe’s version of the U.S. E911 system, police said.

According to the advisory from police, the e-mail tells a story of a female being stopped by an unmarked cruiser. In the e-mail, the woman “follows the advice of her parents and calls 112 on her cell phone.”

The e-mail also made false claims of the call going directly to emergency services and provided incorrect information about what drivers should do when an unmarked cruiser stops them, according to the advisory from police.

Police said the law requires drivers to stop for police vehicles displaying flashing or rotating blue lights. If motorists are unsure about the legitimacy of the officer approaching the vehicle, police advised drivers to lock their doors, roll down the driver’s window just enough to have a conversation, and pass the license and registration to the officer, according to the advisory.

The law requires police officers to identify themselves and have their badges displayed in a prominent location, police said.

“If the officer is not in uniform, or if you are in a very isolated or rural area, ask the officer to send another, marked cruiser with a uniformed officer to your location, or ask the officer to follow you to the nearest police station or well-lit area,” police said in the advisory. “Once you have established that he/she is a police officer, you must comply with all lawful requests.”

The North Reading Police Department, like many agencies in the state, uses unmarked cruisers to patrol roads and conduct traffic stops, according to police. In the advisory, police offered the following tips for motorists if they are pulled over by an unmarked cruiser:

• As soon as you realize you are being pulled over, activate your vehicle's hazard lights. This tells the officer you are aware that they are there and that you are complying with his or her request to pull over. Do not drive erratically, speed up or attempt to elude the officer.
• If you believe that the person attempting to stop you is not a police officer, drive safely to the nearest public area or police station. These are locations where police impersonators are less likely to engage victims. If it is nighttime, make sure the area is well lit.
• If you have a cell phone, dial 911 and ask the dispatcher to verify that an officer attempting to pull you over. If the 911 operator verifies your vehicle description and your location, stop immediately for the officer.
• If a plainclothes officer is driving the unmarked cruiser, you may request that a uniformed officer respond to the scene. Remember to be polite and non-threatening, police said.