Phone Scam Targets Radnor Twp. Residents

RADNOR, PA — Several Radnor Township residents have received scam phone calls from people pretending to be local officers, police warned.

"The Radnor Township Police Department has been notified that residents are receiving scam phone calls from individuals claiming to be Radnor Police Officers," the police department said. "These calls are not from the Radnor Township Police Department."

If you receive a call like this, hang up. Do not provide your personal or financial information, police said.

And if you're unsure whether the call is legitimate, contact the Radnor Township Police Department using a verified phone number.

The FBI and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have both warned the public about various phone scams involving a caller impersonating law enforcement. In some cases, scammers "spoof" the caller ID information, so fraudulent calls will appear to be coming from the agency's actual phone number.

The scammer will often say you must pay a fine while you're on the phone to avoid arrest or legal trouble. Real officers won't call to say you're going to be arrested or threaten to arrest you if you hang up, the FTC says.

"Real law enforcement officers won't call to insist that you pay fines by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, or a wire transfer service — and never as a way to buy your way out of a 'crime,'" the agency said.