Police Warn Of This Ongoing Scam Targeting Huntersville Residents

HUNTERSVILLE, NC — Huntersville Police are warning residents about a phone scam targeting residents involving a person impersonating a police officer and threatening arrest if payment of a fine isn’t made.

“We have received multiple calls to our office this morning in reference to a scam going around. Callers are stating they received a call from someone claiming to be Sergeant Riley with Huntersville Police Department,” HPD said Monday. “This person is advising the callers that they missed a court date and a criminal summons has been issued for their arrest.

“The person goes on to say that if they do not pay the fine, they will be arrested,” HPD said.

There is no officer employed by the police department with that name, HPD said.

“Second, we would never call to say you missed a court date! These are scams and you should never give out any personal information or send any money to anyone without first verifying the information,” HPD said.

RELATED: Scammers Scare, Extort Millions From Your Aging Parents In NC

Scammers, particularly those targeting the elderly, were convincing enough to steal $42 million from their victims over a recent 15-month period, according to a report to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which is looking into scams against some of the nation's most vulnerable. And $42 million is just a conservative estimate of actual losses in the grandparent scam.

Overall, the top 10 scams on elderly Americans are:

1. IRS impersonation scams
2. Robocalls / unsolicited phone calls
3. Sweepstakes / Jamaican lottery scam
4. "Can you hear me?" scam
5. Grandparent scam
6. Computer scam
7. Romance scam
8. Elder financial abuse
9. Identity theft
10. Government grant scam