Placerville officials warn of phone scammers impersonating police and seeking money

If you receive a phone call from a local police department asking you to pay to clear a warrant or risk arrest, it’s bogus.

Several Placerville residents reported just such calls to the Placerville Police Department Monday, according to a Facebook post. Similar phony calls apparently were made purportedly from other alleged law enforcement agencies.

In no cases were they authentic.

In the Placerville case, scammers contacted residents using a phone number associated with the police department and alleged the residents had a pending warrant for their arrest. The residents were told to pay a determined fee by purchasing a gift card or go to jail, according to a department press release.

Lt. Nelson Resendes of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said his office has seen the same sorts of calls.

“It’s not uncommon. We see it every year,” he told The Sacramento Bee.

In one instance, a caller used the name of a former sheriff and read fake case numbers to residents to make the ruse more convincing, Resendes said. The scammers even asked people to drive to police departments while on the phone.

Resendes said law enforcement agencies do not clear warrants or fees over the phone. Anyone who receives one of these calls should not disclose any information or make any payments.

“If you get that call, the best thing to do is to ignore them,” he said. “Or if you’re suspicious, ask for a call back number or call the police.”

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 5:55 PM.