SAPD Urges Citizens to be Aware of Recent Telephone Scam

SAN ANGELO, TX -- The San Angelo Police Department (SAPD) is warning residents of San Angelo and the surrounding area to be aware of a telephone phishing scam used to collect money from fake warrants.

SAPD has received reports from citizens who have been contacted by individuals via telephone who are portraying themselves as representatives of the SAPD.  Although the Caller ID shows a 325 area code, SAPD believes the calls are originating from out of the area.  

In this scam, the suspected caller attempts to deceive the victim by advising them of an outstanding fine or warrant and that they must pay the fine immediately to avoid going to jail, a SAPD press release states.

The scammer will then provide a fraudulent solution, such as purchasing a pre-paid credit card in the amount of the fictitious fine.  Prepaid cards are just like paying in cash — once the money is gone, you can’t get it back.

SAPD urge that they never contact individuals over the telephone to demand payment for outstanding fines or warrants, in fact, they do not collect fines. As for warrants, SAPD prefers face-to-face contact, followed by a short drive to the Tom Green County Jail. 

As a reminder, never give personal identifying information – including banking information – over the phone or to strangers. 

"If contacted, simply hang up and block the call if your device allows," the press release states."If you have fallen victim to this crime, contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report and [then also] report the imposter to the Federal Trade Commission at  ftc.gov/complaint.  Select the category “Scams and Rip-offs” then “Impostor Scams.”