A scam is using a valid Virginia State Police phone number and authorities are warning people to beware.
Police said its Loudoun County/Leesburg Area 11 Office has received three calls verifying that the state police called them asking for payment due to outstanding warrants.
A phone scammer has cloned the office phone number and is identifying himself as a trooper or Sgt. Johnson. Police said this is a scam.
“No law enforcement agency will call a person to say he/she is under arrest, has an outstanding warrant, and/or owes money,” police said in a news release.
The scam goes like this: You get a call from a person claiming to be law enforcement. You may also be contacted through WhatsApp. The phone number shows a valid Virginia State Police number. The caller will say that your identity has been stolen or there is a warrant for your arrest, and you need to send money as soon as possible for the charges to be cleared. The money can be wired to an account or you can buy/send gift cards.
If you get a call saying this, hang up. One person complied with the caller’s request and was scammed out of money, police said.
Virginia State Police wants to remind people that law enforcement will never contact you by phone to request payment or clear arrest warrants. They also will never request payments by gift cards. They also said that Caller ID is not always accurate, as it is easy to spoof a number. Lastly, never give your credit card number or account information over the phone.
You can report telephone scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
