Kennesaw Police Warn Residents Of Law Enforcement Phone Scam

KENNESAW, GA -- Police in Kennesaw are warning residents about a new phone scam that involves callers pretending to be a law enforcement officer or bounty hunter. The scammers are somehow manipulating caller IDs to make it appear like the call is coming from a local jail or sheriff’s office.

The scheme is popular enough that officials with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are warning consumers about it. SIGN UP: To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Kennesaw Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

"The callers, manipulating caller ID to make the number appear to come from the local sheriff's office or jail, tell potential victims they have an outstanding warrant for an unpaid debt, missed jury duty or some minor infraction and that a fine is due," Kennesaw police said in a recent Facebook post.

Once you've been pulled into the rouse, the callers persuade people to make payments either via Western Union MoneyGram or a prepaid credit card, police said.

Read more: Phone scam starts with this simple question

"The Kennesaw Police Department will never ask anyone to pay fines over the phone, especially using pre-paid debit cards," the social media post says.

Unfortunately, metro Atlanta residents have fallen victim to a number of hoaxes and schemes in recent months. Here are five schemes that local law enforcement agencies have alerted residents to be wary of.

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