WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) - If you get a call from someone claiming to be a West Bloomfield police officer demanding money, hang up the phone and call the department.
You're being "spoofed," the West Bloomfield Police Deparmtent warned.
"These "Spoofed" phone calls can sometimes appear as our phone number on the caller ID," law enforcement said in a statement about the latest phone scam to get at a victim's personal information. "[We} will never demand payment over the phone or online."
According to the Federal Communications Commission, spoofing occurs when someone or something deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity in an attempt to steal money, passwords and more from their victims.
"Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust," the FCC stated.
The West Bloomfield PD said they've had multiple reported cases of people posing as officers from their department trying to coerce people into giving payments over the phone.
If you encounter one of these calls, the department advised residents to not give out any information or any type of payment over the phone or online.
If concerned about the legitimacy of who you're speaking with, residents can contact the West Bloomfield Police Department at (248) 975-9200.
