HAMILTON, Ohio — A warning from Hamilton police. Scammers are calling you and pretending to be police officers. During the call, scammers will say they they have warrants for your arrests because of missing jury duty. They go on to tell you that a fine needs to be paid. They’re demanding up to $1500. One woman became a victim.
“This guy was very nice,” Lori Vaughn said. “He knew the law. He had all the instructions, and everything sounded legit.”
She said the caller ID even displayed Hamilton police department’s actual number. It’s why she thought it was real. During the phone call, she said the scammer wouldn’t let her hang up.
Along with saying she had to pay a fine, he also made other bogus claims.
“He said there was a certified letter that was mailed to my house that was signed by me,” Vaughn said. “ I couldn’t recall so I was frantic because I’m not a criminal. I started crying because I don’t have that kind of money.”
He originally demanded $1300 but accepted $300 instead. She was told to transfer the money to a Zelle account. However, she later realized it was a scam after talking to her relatives. she fell for what experts say is the core of scammers techniques.
“They really try and take advantage of your emotions,” cognitive psychologist Alan Castel said. “Really putting you in stressful situations, making you rush to make decisions. “
It’s important to remember, that police would never call and demand money from you to take care of a warrant. The best thing to do is hang up and call the police to confirm if you spoke to an actual officer.
Experts say speaking up also makes a difference.
“You shouldn’t feel ashamed because other people are in the same boat,” Castel said. “In fact you might be helping them by telling them about this scam that’s out there.”
It’s exactly what Vaughn is doing.
“It is embarrassing, but I guess it was just a lesson learned,” Vaughn said.
