Locals Receive Fake Police Calls From Scammers In This Bay Area City: Police

SAN MATEO, CA — Residents in San Mateo received scam calls Tuesday from someone impersonating a San Mateo County Sheriff’s lieutenant demanding payment for bail or citations, police said.

On Tuesday, the San Mateo Police Department was notified that locals were receiving calls from someone claiming to be a SMC sheriff's sergeant who would then pass the call to someone impersonating Lieutenant Paul Pak, police said. There is a Lieutenant Pak who works for the San Mateo Police Department, not the sheriff’s office, but he was not making these calls, police said.

“Our Lt. Pak [wouldn’t] attempt to swindle you out of money,” a press release stated.

Police said callers told them that they would receive a call and the scammers would tell them they have a warrant for their arrest and they needed to pay them over the phone for bail or a citation.

Police said scammers will “spoof” real phone numbers used by law enforcement agencies to make the calls seem more legitimate.

Law enforcement agencies may call you for a number of reasons but it will never be to collect money, police said.

The SMPD wants to advise residents to be aware of these scams that ask for money and hang up and call the supposed law enforcement agency or business through their official phone numbers to inform them of the scam attempts. Police said a red flag for these types of scams is often they ask for payments in gift cards, bitcoin, crypto, gold coins, or wire transfers.

Police said, usually, if someone does owe money to the police department they will likely be sent documentation in the mail.