The Oceanside Police Department is scrambling to get the word out about a scam targeting families they are sworn to protect.
But this scam could happen to anyone and anywhere.
Capt. John McKean with the police department said he was at a movie theater when he learned someone was impersonating him to scam people out of their money. The caller threatened victims with arrest if they didn’t pay to get out of the legal trouble they didn’t know they had. Anything from unpaid tickets to warrants was used to convince their targets.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
“If they didn’t pay in gift cards, then they were going to be arrested. The police would go to their house and make an arrest,” he said, adding that names of other actual officers have also been used to scam people out of their money. Additionally, the scam spoofed the number of the police department, so the call seems legit when it pops on the victims' phones.
He said the caller was so convincing that he scared a young lady so much that she took thousands of dollars to pay them.
McKean said he feels terrible for the victims and the harm it may cause to the trust and relationship between the police department and the community.
Local
“Not all the residents that were victimized were Oceanside residents. They also lived in North County and Camp Pendleton, so I just feel bad for them and the reputation for the Oceanside Police Department,” he said.
Oceanside police want you to remember:
- Police will not call demanding or requesting money under any circumstance, including payments for outstanding citations or warrants.
- Hang up on anybody asking for payment via gift cards.
- Never give out your personal information to anyone calling you at random.
- Be suspicious of a call from someone pretending to represent a police officer association and asking for a donation.
This is good advice no matter where you live. If you have concerns after hanging up, it’s best to call the department directly. If you do end up losing money to this or any other scam, you are encouraged to file a police report.
