Beware of Scam Calls Making the Round in Beverly Hills, Police Warn

BEVERLY HILLS, CA -- Police are warning Beverly Hills residents about scammers pretending to be officers from the Los Angeles Police Department or the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and calling residents to get them to pay for phantom warrants.

The scammer will tell the victim that there is a warrant for their arrests or that there is a federal investigation against them. The caller will tell the victim to provide $2,000 to $2,500 in "MoneyPak" prepaid cards to get the charges dropped, police said.

Beverly Hills Police Department said that no government agency, including police, will call to ask for payment of fines.

"In addition, no legitimate Agency would request you to go to a retail store or pharmacy (CVS, RiteAid, Walmart, etc) to purchase a pre-paid credit card for payment of any kind," BHPD Sgt. Max Subin said. "Law Enforcement personnel will never go to your home to collect a fee for a warrant."

Police advised never to give your personal information to anyone over the phone, including bank account, pin numbers, Social Security number or any type of identifying information.

"Phone scam thieves will try and trick you into giving them money and information," Subin said. "If you receive a call protect yourself, your information and do not send money."

Police said if you receive a suspicious phone call or solicitation that you believe is not from a real government agency, you can report the call to The Department of Consumer Affairs at (800) 593-8222. You can also file a complaint on the DCA website at dca.lacounty.gov.

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