Stamford Police Warn Residents About Phone Scam

STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Police Department is warning residents about a phone scam in which people are pretending to be from emergency dispatch.

"We’re currently experiencing a high volume of calls due to our dispatch number — (203) 977-4444 — being spoofed," police said. "Scammers are posing as Stamford Dispatch and falsely claiming that you owe fines or have a warrant for your arrest."

The SPD says it does not call to inform residents about fines or arrest warrants,

Residents are being advised to not share any personal information over the phone.

"If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately and contact us directly if you’re unsure," police said.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, "spoofing" is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise their identity.

"Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust," the FTC says on its website. "If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity."

More information on number spoofing can be found on the FTC website.