BCoPD Warns of Phone Scam to Steal Money

The Baltimore County Police Department would like the public to be aware of a phone scam in which the caller is posing as a member of law enforcement. These callers may use urgent language to pressure the resident into making an immediate payment via wire transfers or other means. Through fraudulent means the name of a legitimate police department may appear on caller ID. The criminal may also use the name of an officer legitimately employed with the Department. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately and report it. As a reminder, the Baltimore County Police Department does not solicit monetary funds.

Safety Recommendations:

•           Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. 

•           If you answer and it’s not who you expected, don’t hang on, hang up. 

•           If a caller asks you to hit a button to stop getting calls, hang up. 

•           Never assume an unexpected call is legitimate. Hang up and call back using a number you can verify on a bill, a statement, or an official website. 

•           Be suspicious. Scammers can be persuasive: They may ask innocuous questions, sound threatening, or sometimes seem too good to be true

•           Ask your phone company about call-blocking tools for landlines or apps for mobile devices. 

•           Report spoofing scams to law enforcement, the FCC, and the FTC.