Residents of Paoli, Indiana, are being cautioned about a sophisticated phone scam where criminals are spoofing the Paoli Police Department’s phone number while attempting to defraud victims through fake Amazon account issues.
The scam involves perpetrators claiming that there has been fraudulent activity on victims’ Amazon accounts. In a particularly bold move, the scammers are using technology to make their calls appear to come from the official Paoli Police Department phone number, adding a veneer of legitimacy to their scheme.
Law enforcement officials have issued a statement clarifying that police personnel would never request citizens to withdraw money from their bank accounts for deposit into ATMs or onto bank cards. They also emphasized that legitimate police officers do not solicit banking information over the phone or threaten to arrest individuals for failing to make payments related to cases where the individual is supposedly the victim.
The Paoli Police Department has outlined several red flags that indicate a potential scam. These warning signs include callers speaking with foreign accents, requests for gift cards, solicitations for money deposits, and threats of arrest or force if immediate payment is not made.
Authorities are advising community members to disregard such calls completely and to report any information about these scammers to the actual police department. This type of scam has become increasingly common across the country as criminals exploit technology to impersonate trusted institutions.
The police advisory comes amid growing concerns about phone and online scams targeting vulnerable populations throughout the region. Local officials continue to monitor the situation and are working to educate the public about these fraudulent activities.
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