Scammers Spoof Bradenton PD's Phone Number, Target Residents

BRADENTON, FL — Someone is spoofing the Bradenton Police Department's phone number and attempting to scam residents, officers warned.

According to the police department, when the scammer calls, unsuspecting residents assume the phone number is originating from the agency.

When a resident answers the phone, police said the scammer threatens to arrest the resident unless they transfer money.

Police urge residents not to fall for it.

"Be advised law enforcement NEVER call you and order you to pay money or be arrested," the police department warned on its Facebook page. "Do not transfer or wire funds without confirming the legitimacy of the requester."

Spoofing occurs when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to a person's caller ID display to disguise their identity, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

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 FCC said.

If you answer, they use scam scripts to try to steal your money or valuable personal information, which can be used in fraudulent activity.

To avoid becoming a victim on spoofing, the FCC offers these tips:

• If you answer the phone and the caller - or a recording - asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes" or "No."
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
• If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.
• Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device. The FCC allows phone companies to block robocalls by default based on reasonable analytics. More information about robocall blocking is available at fcc.gov/robocalls.