EAST GREENVILLE PA – A 46-year-old Upper Hanover Township woman is among several victims who have been swindled by telephone scammers who pose as law enforcement representatives and demand payments, according to a recent report from Pennsylvania State Police at the Troop K Barracks in Skippack.
“This scam has occurred multiple times within the area with multiple victims,” troopers wrote in their May 16 (2023; Tuesday) report.
In the case of the Upper Hanover woman, troopers said she “received a phone call” May 10 (Wednesday) “from a fake number,” from an individual “posing as a lieutenant from the Lansdale Police Department.” The caller claimed there were “federal warrants out for her arrest.” She needed “to pay him in order for the warrants to be lifted,” the caller reportedly charged.
The victim followed the scammer’s directions, put funds “into a bitcoin machine and informed the caller of the code to receive the funds.” Troopers said she lost $3,000 as a result of this theft by deception.
The Federal Trade Commission, which deals daily with scam-related crimes, acknowledges that “scammers might pretend to be law enforcement or a federal agency. They might say you’ll be arrested, fined, or deported if you don’t pay taxes or some other debt right away. The goal is to scare you into paying. But real law enforcement and federal agencies won’t call and threaten you.”
Don’t fall for a fake story, troopers urged area residents. “The public is advised to contact law enforcement if similar calls are received,” they said.
Photo by Dmitriy Ananiev on Deposit Photos, used under license
