Scammers Spoof Cherry Hill Police Department's Phone Number, Seeking 'Fines'

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The Cherry Hill Police Department warned of a "professional scheme" in which scammers claim to represent the local agency. They then ask residents to pay fees or make donations over the phone.

The scammers appear to have spoofed the police department's caller ID. So it could display on residents' phones as the agency's non-emergency line: 856-665-1200.

The fraudsters have asked residents to pay fines over the phone, requested monetary donations, and told them about warrants or that a family member has been arrested.

"The Cherry Hill Police Department will NEVER call you to ask you to pay a fine for yourself or for a family member, and we will never call you to inform you that you or your family member have a warrant," the agency wrote. "We also want our residents to know that we are NOT soliciting monetary donations."

This is a nationwide scam that Cherry Hill PD's law-enforcement partners are also investigating, the agency said. If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, don't give the caller any of your personal or financial information. Hang up, and call the police department's non-emergency line.

Make sure that you don't call the number back. Instead, type the number into your phone. And never provide credit-card information over the phone to unverified people or businesses.