GP Police Department Warns Citizens about Recent Rise in Scam Phone Calls
There has been a recent rise in calls to citizens in the Grants Pass area where the callers claim to be officers or detectives from the Grants Pass Police Department.
According to GPPD, the scammers use sophisticated software that allows them to "spoof" phone numbers. Although you may be seeing the number on your caller ID as being from the local agency, you're actually talking to a scam artist.
The scammers will then threaten to arrest individuals if payments are not made immediately for various reasons.
The Grants Pass Police Department will never contact an individual requesting money or payments over the phone.
If you receive a phone call, e-mail or text message instructing you to purchase prepaid gift merchant gift cards, cryptocurrency or money orders, it is a scam. Hang up, deleted the message and don't respond.
Typical scenarios include bail money for yourself or a loved one, IRS for taxes owed, immigration officials to avoid deportation, Social Security officials for unusual activity, or hospital treatment for a family member or loved one.
Phone scams such as these can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at "reportfraud.ftc.gov."
