Cambridge Police Warn Of Phone Scam That Spoofs Police Number

CAMBRIDGE, MA —Cambridge police are warning never to give out social security numbers over the phone after several Cambridge residents reported a phone scam in which a caller spoofed the police non-emergency line to get people to give up private information.

On Wednesday, multiple people reported the scam, in which phone calls appeared as 617-349-3300, which is the non-emergency business line for the Cambridge Police. In the calls, the scam callers claim to be federal law enforcement officers.

In one of the cases, the caller informed a resident that their Social Security Number was going to be suspended and, in order to prevent the suspension, they requested the resident’s personal information.

In another case, a caller requested a Social Security number and date of birth, as well as bank information, because of an “investigation into an open criminal case” involving them.

"Police department or law enforcement agency will never call a resident and ask for their personal or financial information over the phone," said police spokesperson Jeremy Warnick in a statement.

If you don’t recognize a phone number, police say the best step you can take is to let it go to voicemail or hang up right away. If it is important, whoever is calling will leave a message and you can always call back.

To avoid becoming victim to similar scams, the Cambridge Police are recommending that residents follow these tips outlined by the Federal Trade Commission:

• Do not take calls from unknown numbers.
• Caller ID is not always accurate. A call from a “local” number might not be coming from a local person or organization as scammers frequently utilize spoofing technology to disguise a caller’s name or number.
• Do not share personal, identifying information like your Social Security Number, account numbers, or your mother’s maiden name.
• If a caller claims to represent an organization and you are doubtful, hang up and contact that agency to verify whether the call was truly from a representative.
• Never pay a caller with a gift card. Legitimate companies and organizations will not ask you to pay for any service with a gift card.
• Do not send cash by messenger, overnight mail, or money transfer. If you pay for a product or service with cash or a money transfer, you run the risk of losing the right to dispute fraudulent charges.
• Report any money lost to a scam call to local police.
• Consider adding your telephone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry www.donotcall.gov/. Law abiding telemarketers will not call phone numbers once they are added to the list.
• Report rude or abusive callers, even if you already sent them money, by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP or by visiting ftc.gov/complaint.

The Cambridge Police Department has published a comprehensive guide that details all things scams and frauds and strategies you can use to protect yourself.