TOWSON, MD—The Baltimore County Police Department is warning residents to be vigilant against a new wave of phone scams where callers are impersonating police officers to solicit money.
The department issued a press release Wednesday, stating that scammers are using caller ID spoofing to make it appear as though the calls are coming from local police precincts. These calls, however, are not from law enforcement.
The police department said it will never contact residents by phone to demand money or personal information.
To protect themselves, residents are advised to immediately hang up on any suspicious calls. They should not provide any personal or financial information and should independently verify any claims by looking up the official phone number for their local police precinct and calling it directly.
The department also encourages anyone who receives such a call to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or to their local authorities.
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