The Brookhaven Police Department has issued a warning to residents about a series of scam calls in the area.
Scammers are impersonating police officers and attempting to extort money from unsuspecting victims.
The department has reported one case where a woman in her thirties fell victim to the scam and lost close to $5,000.
The scammers are using a technique where they clone the police department’s main line number and leave a voicemail asking the victim to call them back on a separate line.
Once engaged, they demand money from the victims.
Sergeant J.
Kissel from the Brookhaven Police Criminal Investigations Division explained that although this is not a new scam, they have seen an alarming increase in the number of cases this week.
It is important to note that this scam is not limited to targeting the elderly.
Anyone can become a victim.
The police department emphasizes that they will never ask for money over the phone.
Additionally, they warn against falling for the trick of paying with gift cards, as law enforcement would never ask individuals to purchase gift cards as a form of payment.
Sergeant Kissel acknowledges that these scammers can be difficult to track down.
Therefore, if anyone receives a suspicious call claiming to be from the police department, it is advised to hang up and contact local law enforcement.
In the event that someone has already fallen victim to the scam, regardless of their location, they are urged to report the incident to their local law enforcement and refrain from sharing personal information or sending money.
