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A police department in Georgia is warning residents about a new phone scam where the callers may pose as law enforcement.
According to WSB-TV, the Gwinnett County Police Department outside of Atlanta is urging caution after receiving several complaints about a phone scam where an individual receives a phone call from what appears to be the department's phone number claiming they missed a court appearance after being sent subpoenas.
Officials said neither money nor the subject of payments were mentioned in the calls. To get ahead of additional scams, the department stressed that it is not involved in sending subpoenas to appear in court nor would it ask for payment over the phone. Anyone who thinks they may be a victim of a phone scam should report it to Gwinnett County Police's non-emergency line.
Phone scams like this could happen to anyone. If you receive an unexpected call, be suspicious of anyone demanding immediate payment in cash, wire transfer, gift cards, prepaid debit cards and cryptocurrency such a Bitcoin. You should also never disclose any personal or financial information to unsolicited callers and never wire money or give out banking information to someone you don't know. If the caller shows a department or agency number, ask for the caller's identity and call the department independently, not through the number that called your phone.
Similar phone scams have been reported around the country. Law enforcement officials in Ohio warned residents of what they called a "ruthless" scam that "can be very convincing" and could affect anyone, "targeting people from all walks of life and age groups."