SAUGUS — Chief Michael Ricciardelli reports that the Saugus Police Department received two reports today from individuals who had been contacted by phone by someone claiming to be a Saugus police officer and who demanded money.
One of the individuals reported that the person who had called said that he was an officer from the Saugus Police Department and he demanded $8,000 from her.
Chief Ricciardelli warns residents that a police officer will never contact you by phone to solicit payment.
“It’s sad and unfortunate to see scammers posing as trusted individuals in the community,” said Chief Ricciardelli. “It’s important to remember that you should never provide personal information on the phone if you didn’t start the call, and don’t know where it originates from.”
The Massachusetts’s Attorney General’s Office provides these tips for residents to protect themselves from other scams and frauds:
- Do not give out your credit card information to someone calling over the phone.
- Do not give in to the pressure to make a decision immediately.
- If in doubt, do not give out your information. Report anyone claiming to be a government worker to local police.
- Monitor incoming calls. Do not pick up unknown numbers or random calls. If a call is important, the caller will leave a message.
- If you do pick up and learn it is a scam call, do not engage. Just hang-up.
If anyone has questions or feels like they have been victimized, they are encouraged to call the Saugus Police Department at 781-941-1199.
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