Central Oregon Times

The Oregon City Police Department wants everyone to be aware of a phone scam

Officers have recently received reports from citizens who stated that scammers have contacted them claiming to be members of the Oregon City Police Department. 

The law enforcement impersonator often times:

•Refers to the person by name,

•Tells the person they are subject to a police investigation

•The caller identifies themselves as a law enforcement officer

•The caller states they need to send money or make a purchase for the caller to avoid the criminal investigation, and

•The caller is very demanding

The Oregon City Police Department wants you to be aware that:

•Sometimes scammers such as these will spoof a legitimate police agency’s phone number and use a real name of a law enforcement officer in an attempt to gain the trust of the victim.

•The Oregon City Police Department does not call individuals and demand or request money under any circumstances.

•The Oregon City Police Department or any other law enforcement agency does not call community members seeking payment for outstanding traffic citations or warrants.

•Scammers claiming to collect debts may try to instill fear in potential victims to persuade them to forward money.

Tips to help avoid becoming a victim to this scam include:

•Never give personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller or email.

•Be suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason.

•Stay private. Consider updating privacy settings for social media sites. Scammers often make their stories more believable by trolling for personal information on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and similar sites.

•Utility companies and government agencies will never contact you for payment by GreenDot, iTunes, or other similar types of prepaid payments.

•Remember that anyone who has the card number on a prepaid card has access to the funds on your card.

•Never wire money, provide debit or credit card numbers to a stranger.

•If you think you are being scammed, find the phone number for that law enforcement agency (don’t rely on the number the scammer gives you) and call the law enforcement agency or their dispatch center to verify if the call and caller are legitimate

If you are a resident of Oregon City and fall victim to these scammers with financial loss, you are encouraged to contact the Oregon City Police Department by calling our non-emergency line at 503-655-8211.

_{Source: https://www.facebook.com/ocpolice/posts/pfbid02RgptBmeWVnxruXYc9nczyeh9tumydx61M7BpgwDxFzck7bfePBjSmpRQmkCFJCc7l}