Upper Marlboro, MD- The Prince George’s County Police Department has released a community alert regarding an ongoing phone scam targeting residents. Scammers involved in this scheme pretend to be police officers to extract personal information or money from unsuspecting individuals.
The operation involves perpetrators using what seems to be legitimate Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) or county government phone numbers to call victims. During these calls, the scammers impersonate officers, claiming the victim has an open arrest warrant or another urgent legal matter needing immediate action. Victims are then pressured to provide private information, such as social security numbers, or coerced into transferring money. In at least one instance, a victim was defrauded of thousands of dollars.
To facilitate this deception, the suspects employ special software. This technology enables them to display any phone number or name on the recipient’s caller ID, increasing the scam’s credibility and making it appear as though the calls are coming from official sources.
The Prince George’s County Police Department emphasizes that they do not request private information, money, or credit card details over the phone.
