Police Alert Residents To Scammers Impersonating Police, Demanding Money

FALLS CHURCH, VA — The City of Falls Church Police is warning residents about a phone scam in the area where callers claim to be members of a local police department or sheriff’s department.

Residents have informed police that scammers may refer to the community member by name, tell the community member the call is being recorded, and tell the community member they missed a court appearance or jury duty.

The scammer then tells the resident to send money by gift card or a warrant will be issued for their arrest, or they may have to turn themselves in to jail, the department said in a news release Wednesday.

These types of scams may include spoofing a legitimate police agency phone number and using a real name of a law enforcement officer in an attempt to gain the trust of the victim, the Falls Church Police said. No government agency of any kind takes gift cards as payment, according to the department.

If a resident receives this type of call, they should hang up immediately without providing any information to the caller.

The Falls Church Police said it does not call people and demand or request money under any circumstances. Any legitimate law enforcement agency also does not call community members seeking payment for outstanding traffic citations or warrants, the department said.

Residents who fall victim to these scammers with any financial loss are encouraged to file a report by calling the City of Falls Church Police's non-emergency line at 703-241-5053.

The police department recommended that residents regularly update privacy settings on their social media sites. Scammers often make their stories more believable by trolling for personal information on Facebook, Twitter and similar sites.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Scam Alert website has more information about avoiding getting scammed.