City Of Columbia Police Department: Telephone Scam Notification

Press release from the City of Columbia Police Department:

September 2, 2021

The Columbia Police Department (CPD) cautions citizens about a recent phone scam involving a false representation of law enforcement asking for money or making threats of arrest.

Scammers are posing as a CPD officer and provides the real name of the officer and real call back number to make the phone call appear legitimate. Fraudsters may also use technology to disguise their number on caller ID. These are attempts to hide the scammer’s true identity and prevent the victim from calling back to verify the call.

The caller may advise that financial payment is required to settle a law enforcement matter at the City of Columbia Municipal Court or elsewhere.

CPD offers the following safety tips regarding phone scams:

This press release was produced by the City of Columbia Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.