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An alert was issued by Maryland State Police over the weekend warning residents to be aware of possible phone scam fraud attempts by police impersonators.
Officials say that they've received multiple reports from several residents throughout the state who advised that they'd been contacted by people claiming to be either state troopers or police officers in an attempt to scam victims out of cash or personal information.
According to police, the poser tells possible victims that they need to obtain the information as part of a larger police investigation, or are asking for money to support law enforcement members or their families.
In some instances, the imposters have also used the real names of law enforcement officers to gain their victims' trust.
Following the recent spate of impersonators, Maryland State Police offered a handful of tips to help avoid being victimized by the fraudsters:
- "Never provide any personal identifying information over the phone unless you have verified the source;
- Never provide any payment information over the phone unless you have verified the source;
- Police will never call and request money for fines, arrest warrants, fundraisers, etc.;
- If you do not trust the source and want to verify, look up the unit/group/barrack they said they are from on the internet and call the listed number directly;
- If you believe you have provided information to a scam, please immediately notify your financial institutions."
"The Maryland State Police does not call individuals and request money from anyone under any circumstances," according to the agency.
Residents are urged to be cautious of unsolicited phone calls."
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