A New type of scam is affecting Southern California residents: Scammers pose as law enforcement officers to deceive their victims. Although telephone scams are not new, these modern versions have become increasingly sophisticated and convincing to the unwary.
One of these recent hoaxes affected Pasadena resident Carolyn Jaques while working at her spa. According to his story to KTLA, received an urgent voicemail that appeared to be from an authority, which led her to think that it could be a medical emergency or a traffic accident. When you call back, a man informed him that he had an outstanding arrest warrant for not showing up for jury selection.
However, the victim knew that this was not possible, since he had not committed any crime. Despite his refusal, the scammer persisted, even connecting her with another individual who posed as a police officer. Under threat of arrest, they ordered him to immediately go to the Pasadena courthouse and prohibited him from speaking to anyone else.
Surprisingly, the scammer's phone number matched that of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which increased Jaques' confusion and fear. Finally, after continued insistence and the threat of a US$1,850 fine, Jaques hung up the phone and headed to the courthouse, only to discover that everything was false.
Scammers use modern technology to spoof legitimate numbers in California
According to the Pasadena Police Department, Scammers are using software to make the phone number of legitimate agencies appear on victims' screens, which makes them more credible. This sophistication has led to the fact that even after realizing the scam, scammers have already moved on to another victim.
The modus operandi of these scammers is not limited to isolated incidents. According to California authorities, similar cases have been reported in which payment of a false fine is required through a Coinstar Bitcoin machine.
Faced with this growing problem, Local authorities warn residents to be alert and not provide personal information or make payments unless they are sure of the legitimacy of the call. No police department will demand payments over the phone and advised potential victims to hang up immediately and report the incident to local authorities, authorities warn.
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