The Oak Ridge Police Department has warned area residents to be on the lookout for “spoofed” phone calls that appear to come from the police department, but are actually from scammers.
Local residents have notified officers that they are receiving calls that appear to originate from the police department’s non-emergency line at (865) 425-4399. These calls are not legitimate. The department will never contact you by phone in an attempt to collect money or financial information.
Residents have also advised officers that the scam calls sometimes threaten arrest, jail time, and other legal action if payment is not made, a press release said.
“Please be aware that this is a common scam tactic, and anyone receiving a call of this nature should hang up without providing any personal information to the caller,” the press release said.
Caller identification “spoofing” is technology that causes the telephone network to indicate that a call is originating from somewhere other than the true location. In other words, the software allows the caller to program the caller ID to show any message or title.
If you receive one of these calls or have questions, please contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at (865) 425-3504.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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