Scammers impersonating Suffolk police claim they have arrest warrants, police say

Scammers impersonating Suffolk County Police Department personnel have called multiple Suffolk residents claiming to have warrants for their arrests and asking for their money, Suffolk police said.

In at least three instances in Suffolk County, residents have received telephone calls from “what appeared to be legitimate police department phone numbers,” police said in a news release issued Friday.

But these calls are from scammers, police warned, who “often use spoofing apps and other technology” to appear to call from a legitimate source.

During the course of each call, the scammers informed residents that they have a warrant for their arrest and urged the residents to send money, Suffolk police said. The department does not know of any victims who have provided money to the scammers.

“Police will NEVER demand money in lieu of arrest or consequence,” the department said in the release.

The Suffolk County Police Department recommends that anyone who may have been a victim of this or another scam contact police.

Online and telephone scammers have recently targeted Long Islanders in efforts to steal tens of thousands of dollars a pop, Newsday previously reported. In September, Nassau police arrested a New Jersey man who impersonated a Walmart employee and stole $20,000 from a 69-year-old New Hyde Park woman. Back in August, Suffolk police detectives recovered $49,000 stolen from an 89-year-old Melville man through an online and telephone scam.

Last month, the New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection alerted high school students and their parents to callers impersonating College Board officials charging for SAT test prep materials they can obtain for free, Newsday reported.

In addition to impersonating law enforcement, scammers impersonate businesses, utility companies or even charities, often pretending there is an urgent matter that must be addressed or a prize to be gained, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer advice website. The agency urges people to avoid clicking on links in emails or text messages  in such messages and to avoid providing personal or financial information during unexpected telephone or online interactions. Instead, people should initiate contact with organizations through a familiar, trustworthy website or a phone number independently sourced, not one from caller ID.

Many scammers will also insist their victims pay through a single, specific way, such as by purchasing gift cards, money orders or even cryptocurrency, according to the FTC.

If someone is suspicious of a potential scam, the FTC advises them to consult someone they trust.

“Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened,” the agency’s website reads. “Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.”