The Geneva Police Department’s number is being “spoofed” in a scam where a caller pretends to be a police officer and requests financial information, the department said in a news release on Friday.
The department is warning residents of the scam, saying that its phone number is being “spoofed,” making such calls appear legitimate.
In the scam, the caller pretends to be a Geneva police officer and tells people that a package containing drugs has been intercepted, a warrant for their arrest has been issued and that they may be victims of identity theft, according to the news release from the department.
The caller then asks for financial information to resolve the situation. Recipients questioning the caller were threatened with yelling and profanity, per the release.
The department said it has received reports of 11 such calls after recipients contacted the police department to verify them. People reporting the phone scam are current or former residents with 630 area codes.
The department emphasized that it doesn’t make unsolicited phone calls demanding financial information, nor do officers threaten people to achieve cooperation during an investigation. Police warned residents not to provide any confidential information to these scam calls.
The police department warned the community to be alert to phone scams that may appear or sound convincing, and said residents, as a general rule, should not provide financial or personal information over the phone, especially during unsolicited calls.
Residents who have concerns about the legitimacy of a call claiming to be from police should contact the department at 630-232-4736 to verify, the release noted. Anyone who is the victim of a scam should report it to their local law enforcement agency, and can also file reports with the Federal Trade Commission or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
