Elizabethtown Police warn of suspected ‘caller ID spoofing’ scam

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pennsylvania – A police department in Lancaster County is warning the public about an ongoing caller ID spoofing scheme.

Elizabethtown police said Monday they had received numerous calls reporting “missed” calls from the police department’s number on their caller ID.

“In one case, the caller spoke to a person who refused to give their name and then hung up,” police said. “This practice is a caller ID spoofing scheme.”

Caller ID spoofing occurs when a caller intentionally falsifies the information sent to a potential victim’s caller ID display in order to conceal their identity, police said.

“Fraudsters often use this technique to make an incoming call appear to be from a local number or a trusted business or government agency,” police said. “In this way, they try to trick people into answering the call and then use scam scripts to steal money or personal information.”

“To avoid becoming a victim of spoofing scams, never give out personal information such as account numbers, social security numbers or passwords over the phone.”

If you receive a call from a person claiming to be a member of the Elizabethtown Police Department or a police department in your area, be sure to do the following:

• Do not give the caller sensitive personal information such as your bank account numbers, passwords, or social security number. The police will never ask you for this information over the phone.
• Ask for the caller’s name, title and badge number. A police officer will always identify himself and give you his badge number. The officer’s badge number is not information that a fraudster has access to.
• After receiving the above information, politely end the call and then contact the police again at the phone number listed on the department’s website.
• Ask to speak to the officer who contacted you on the phone. If the call was legitimate, the police will confirm their service number over the phone.