SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Department announced on Monday, April 5, they are alerting residents to be aware of calls they have been receiving from scammers, telling them that they have outstanding warrants or criminal charges they must pay.
According to the SFPD, the scammers have been using technology referred to as “caller ID spoofing” in order to display an SFPD or official looking caller ID on the victim’s phone.
In a statement, the SFPD reminded the public that they do not make cold calls asking for donations, call people to tell them about warrants, nor do they ask for money, gift cards, or wire transfers to pay off warrants.
The police department is urging residents who receive such calls to understand that this is not the correct procedure, and they should be suspicious and hang up immediately.
For those who have provided critical information, such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, or financial information, they should file a police report in the jurisdiction of their residence.
This comes just three weeks after the San Francisco Police Department was warned about scammers in San Mateo calling residents claiming to be detectives and asking for gift cards.
