The Collegedale Police Department (CPD) issued a press release last week cautioning Hamilton County residents about a phone scammer impersonating a Collegedale police officer.
Last week, a Hamilton County resident reported receiving a phone call from an individual claiming to be “Sergeant Schneider with the Collegedale Police Department,” the press release stated. The scammer told the resident that there was a warrant out for his wife’s arrest, and he could avoid the arrest if they paid him $500.
According to the press release, the resident did not pay the scammer. Instead, he called the Collegedale Police Department to check the scammer’s credentials.
“He [the resident] soon discovered that not only were there no officers with that name but that he had almost been the victim of a scam,” the press release stated.
According to police, the scammer has changed the phone number from which he called, and investigators are looking into the complaint. This particular scam has been recently reported in other nearby jurisdictions; according to the press release, in 2020 alone, the Internet Crime Complaint Center took in 12,827 government impersonation scams at the federal level.
To help avoid becoming a victim of these scams, here are some tips from the CPD.
1. Remember: Law Enforcement will NEVER solicit money or payments via gift or prepaid card from you over the phone.
2. Contact your local police department immediately to confirm the caller or to report the fraud. The Collegedale Police Department’s non-emergency phone number is 423-396-3133.
3. Be cautious when answering phone calls from unrecognized numbers. Most of these scammers use internet-based or VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone numbers or another program that allows them to clone or spoof any number they wish.
4. Keep social media accounts private, and don’t accept messages from people you don’t know.
