WASHINGTON — Alexandria police say they’ve received more than 20 calls from residents reporting a phone scam in the area.
A similar scam has also been reported in Howard County, Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia, says Crystal Nosal, with the Alexandria police.
The caller trying to scam residents identifies himself as a police officer, then tries to convince the resident they have outstanding warrants or are wanted for something, eventually asking for payment, Nosal says.
“The police department would never ask you for money, especially in the form of a Green Dot paypack card,” Nosal says.
The Green Dot card is a reloadable prepaid card.
What’s most confusing for residents, Nosal says, is the number on their caller ID, which is the non-emergency number for the Alexandria Police Department.
“If they hang up and call directly back, they will get a legitimate city employee, who would be able to handle either taking a report for that or to handle an emergency,” she says.
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