The Town of Frisco Police Department is issuing a public advisory to raise awareness about a recent rise in reports of scammers posing as law enforcement, and specifically, Frisco Police, in order to scam community members. Scammers are calling and claiming to be police officers or other law enforcement personnel. They are telling community members that they have a warrant, have missed jury duty, or owe a fine, and then they demand immediate payment over the phone claiming that this is necessary to avoid arrest.
Legitimate law enforcement personnel will never call or approach anyone demanding immediate payment by wire transfer, credit card, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or cash. Scammers have gotten more sophisticated and are using the names of actual police officers and even spoofing or making it look like the call are coming from a legitimate law enforcement agency.
Scams can include door to door solicitation, phishing emails, text messages, and phone calls impersonating legitimate organizations or government agencies. These scams aim to deceive individuals into providing financial support and can include requests for sensitive information, such as personal identification, banking details, or passwords, ultimately leading to financial loss or identity theft.
Potential Signs of a Scam
- Immediate arrest is threatened if payment is not made.
- The caller demands non-traditional payment such as a wire transfer, credit card numbers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or cash.
- The caller pressures you to keep the call a secret.
- The caller threatens to release embarrassing information about you.
What to Do if you Receive a Call Like This
- Hang up.
- Do not send money or provide any information to the caller.
- Call your local police department by using a phone number that you independently verify, not the number provided by the caller or on your caller ID. A legitimate caller will be fine with you confirming the phone number independently and then calling them back at that independently verified phone number.
- For further information or to report any suspicious activity to any law enforcement agencies in Summit County including the Frisco Police Department, please call the Summit County non-emergency line at (970) 668-8600.
- The Frisco Police Department office, located at 1 Main Street in Frisco Town Hall, is available at 970-668-3579 Monday-Thursday from 8:00am – 5:00pm and Friday from 8:00am – 12:00pm and is here to assist and advise the community when requests for financial support or personal information seem suspicious or fraudulent.
How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Scams
In light of this recent attempt to scam community members, the Frisco Police Department urges community members to take proactive measures to protect themselves:
- Exercise Caution: Be cautious when receiving unsolicited communications, whether via at your door or via phone, email, or text message. If in any doubt, let the person contacting you know that you will look up their company’s or organization’s phone number through an independent source, such as an internet search, and verify that their request is legitimate. Legitimate companies or organizations that you are familiar with and who have your business will not object to being called back or contacted later, after you verify whether their request is legitimate.
- Avoid Clicking Unfamiliar Links: Be wary of clicking on links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar or suspicious sources in emails or text messages. These may contain malware designed to compromise your device or steal sensitive information.
- Protect Personal Information: Safeguard your personal and financial information by refraining from sharing it with unknown parties, especially over the phone or online. Legitimate organizations will not request sensitive information without proper verification protocols. Again, if there is any doubt that it is a legitimate call, hang up, find the organization’s or company’s contact information, and call them back using that independently verified contact information.
- Remain Alert and Critical: Legitimate business transactions will not include urgent demands to give cash, wire money, or to purchase and provide gift cards as payment. They will also not include threats to expose illegal content on your phone or computer; this is a known tactic and is effective as it incites fear. Always consider whether something seems customary or usual to the normal course of business, and if it does not, then hang up or do not answer or click on suspicious emails or texts.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you encounter suspicious communication or believe you are or have been targeted by a scam, report it to the Frisco Police Department immediately. The Frisco Police Department is here to serve the community and would welcome a call if you need assistance verifying the legitimacy of a call, email, or text. Prompt reporting can help prevent further victimization and aid in the investigation of these crimes. You can call 970-668-8600 at anytime of day to ask about a potential scam, and a Frisco Police Officer will contact you.
- A Shame Free Zone: These scams are largely effective because victims or even potential victims feel shame and embarrassment and because scammers are very good at being convincing and intimidating. The Frisco Police Department wants to emphasize that there are victims of all ages and backgrounds who have fallen for scams because scammers are very good at what they do. When contacting the Frisco Police Department to report or check on a possible scam, please know that you will always be met with respect and care no matter the situation.
How to Report Scams or Verify if a Call is Legitimate or Not
If you need to speak to a Frisco Police Officer or are calling outside of office hours, please call Summit County’s non-emergency dispatch phone number at 970-668-8600, or in the case of an emergency, please call 911.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation hosts a 24-hour phone fraud hotline at 855-443-3489, and if they don’t answer immediately, then they will usually call back within 15 minutes after you leave a message. When you report a suspected scam, please be prepared to provide the telephone number used by the suspected fraudulent caller and a summary of the scam
The Frisco Police Department office located at 1 Main Street in Frisco Town Hall is available at 970-668-3579 Monday-Thursday from 8:00am – 5:00pm and Friday from 8:00am – 12:00pm and is here to assist and advise the community when requests for financial support or personal information seem suspicious or fraudulent.