BPD Community Alert: Beware of scam phone calls

See community alert below:

The Boston Police Department has been made aware of several recent phone calls which appear to have originated from a number that was disguised as a legitimate Boston Police Department phone number. During these calls, the scammer requested that money be sent via an electronic transaction for any number of reasons. For the record, the Boston Police Department will never solicit payments over the phone.

The Boston Police Department is issuing a community alert in hopes of protecting, educating, and informing community members on the appropriate steps to take if a phone scammer targets or calls them.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF A PHONE SCAMMER CALLS YOU:

You control the call. If you sense you’re being scammed, hang up the phone.

If any monetary demands are made, especially ones where the scammer requests funds are sent via MoneyGram or Western Union, it is a tell-tale sign of fraud.

Note the phone number where the call or text originated and report the incident to the Boston Police Department immediately.

In addition to filing a report with the Boston Police Department, victims are also encouraged to report any Phone/Internet Fraud Scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Please call the FTC at 1(877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or visit their website at: www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts