Soldotna Police are warning residents of scammers using the police department’s business line to try to steal money. Officials said that the scammers use a phone spoofing program to trick caller ID into displaying the Soldotna Police Department’s business line. The scammers then identify themselves as a member of the SPD convincing residents that they need to pay up for outstanding warrants.
Lt. Duane Kant told KSRM:
“Parties unknown to us are calling local residents and when the caller ID comes up, they’re spoofing SPD’s business line number and they’re calling local folks and telling them that they have outstanding warrants for their arrest and that they need to take care of the bail amount on the warrant over the phone. Obviously, this is a scam. Soldotna police would never do business like this, and we urge all citizens not to provide any personal information over the phone.”
Kant says that they have already received several complaints.
Kant discusses normal police procedures when it comes to outstanding warrants:
“Well normally we don’t contact people about outstanding warrants. We make contact with them physically in person like traffic stops or when we respond to the scene somewhere for whatever we may be called for. We do not make it a business practice to telephonically contact somebody about outstanding warrants.”
The FCC defines spoofing as when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust. If you answer, they may use scam scripts to try and steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.
SPD reminds residents to not give personal or financial information to callers claiming to be Soldotna Police officers. If you have questions or concerns, call SPD directly at (907) 262-4455.