Deerfield Police warn of impersonation scams
Published: 02-17-2023 1:29 PM |
DEERFIELD — The Police Department is urging residents to be aware of phone and computer scams that have recently occurred, including impersonation of federal officials and extortion.
Residents are encouraged to contact the Police Department directly if they are suspicious of a scam call. Folks are also encouraged to talk with their family members about scams to increase awareness of scam tactics.
The Police Department wrote on Facebook Friday morning that it received a report of a scam Thursday when someone called a resident and claimed to be a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. The alleged scammer said they were working with Police Chief John Paciorek Jr. and were looking for payments to “clear up warrants.” The resident was able to recognize it wasn’t Paciorek and hung up the phone before reporting the call to police.
Additionally, the Police Department is investigating a computer scam that caused a pop-up to freeze a resident’s computer and provided a phone number to call. Upon calling, the scammer claimed there was child porn on the computer and convinced the person to pay them in thousands of dollars of gift cards to “clear up the computer” and prevent criminal charges. The Police Department emphasized that legitimate members of law enforcement will never ask for gift cards and gift cards should never be used to pay for any service.
Police advised that if an investigation is being conducted by any law enforcement agency, including the FBI or Massachusetts State Police, a Deerfield police officer in a marked cruiser will be assisting them. Residents can also ask to meet with law enforcement at the Police Station.
To contact the Deerfield Police Department regarding scams, call 413-665-2606.