Petaluma police warn of scam involving law enforcement impersonators
Petaluma police warned this week that scammers pretending to represent the city’s police department are calling residents and asking for personal information and money.
Multiple community members told police they got the scam calls, which have come from the police department’s phone number, officials said in a Nixle alert.
“The Petaluma Police Department does not call community members seeking payment for outstanding traffic citations or warrants,” the Nixle alert said. “This includes claims of unpaid federal or state taxes.”
Police gave several tips to avoid falling for the scam. They recommend not giving personal or financial information to an unsolicited caller, being suspicious of callers who demand immediate payment for any reason, avoiding wiring money or providing credit card numbers to a stranger and updating social media settings to make accounts private.
Police urged anyone who lost money from the scam to file a report by calling 707-778-4372.
You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.
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