Burnsville police are working to stop a string of scam calls where callers impersonate police sergeants, sometimes using real names of Burnsville police officers.
In a press release Friday the Burnsville Police Department said they received numerous calls from people saying that scammers called or left messages demanding payment in the form of gift cards for supposed confidential information and missed court dates.
Investigators said that at least two people had fallen for the scams, which primarily have targeted people employed in the medical field.
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The department is aware of two people who have fallen victim to this scam so far. The scammers demand the victims stay on the phone while the victim buys gift cards. The victim gives the scammer the gift card numbers, allowing the scammer to access the funds on the gift card immediately.
"The Burnsville Police Department strongly cautions the public against returning these calls, giving out personal information or paying fees over the phone," the press released stated. "The Burnsville Police Department will never require people to pay fines or fees using gift cards, money orders, etc."
Police urge anyone that receives a call like this to check with the Burnsville Police Department to see if the call is legitimate or not. Anyone that believes they may have been scammed should contact the impersonated agency to report it.