Phone Scammers Deceive Manhattan Beach Residents For Donations

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Manhattan Beach Police Department warned residents about a scam caller claiming to work for the police department to solicit money from people.

Authorities said the scammers are impersonating the MBPD Police Officers Association to deceive residents into making donations.

"It is crucial for the public to be aware that the MBPD or other law enforcement agencies would never engage in such activities by making unsolicited calls demanding payments or personal information over the phone," MBPD said in a statement.

Police Department officials recommended some safety tips for residents including:

• Verify the caller's information by asking for their name, badge number and purpose of the call. Residents can also call the official phone number for the police department to verify their identity.
• Avoid providing personal or financial information over the phone because scammers use that information for identity theft and financial fraud.

Anyone who believes they received one of these calls or have been a victim of a phone scam was urged to contact MBPD at 310-802-5140 to file a report.