Crime & Safety
Portland Police Warn of Phone Scam
Callers being told they can take care of missed jury duty, unpaid fines, arrest warrants with over the phone payments, Don't buy it.
You're at home. The phone rings. The caller on the other end says they are from the police department. Maybe the sheriff's office.
They inform you that you missed jury duty and there is a fine attached. Or maybe they let you know there is a warrant for your arrest that can be taken care of with a payment over the phone.
Either way - it's a scam.
Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Portland Police Bureau sent out a notice Tuesday warning people in the metro area to be on the alert for these scams.
Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
They warn that fraudsters are getting more clever and that technology allows them to make it seem like they are calling from a legitimate police number.
They tell you that that you can take care of whatever the problem is by buying a reloadable money card as Vanilla Reload or Green Dot.
Some of these crooks have said you can use an ITunes gift card to make your "troubles" go away.
The police bureau wants people to know:
* The Portland Police Bureau or any other legitimate law enforcement agency does not call community members seeking payment for outstanding traffic citations or warrants. This includes claims of unpaid federal or state taxes.
* The Portland Police Bureau does not call individuals and demand money from community members under any circumstances.
* Individuals claiming to collect debts may try to instill fear in potential victims to persuade them to forward money.
* Never give personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller or email.
* Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.
* Stay private. Regularly update privacy settings for social media sites. Scammers often make their stories more believable by trolling for personal information on Facebook, Twitter and similar sites.
* Utility companies and government agencies will never contact you for payment by GreenDot, MoneyPak or Vanilla Reload.
* Remember that anyone who has the number on a prepaid card has access to the funds on your card.
* Never wire money, provide debit or credit card numbers to a stranger.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.