Law enforcement agencies on the Kenai Peninsula are advising citizens to be wary of scam calls.
Lt. Ben Langham of the Kenai Police Department says agencies on the peninsula receive reports of scam callers somewhat regularly. He says scammers are often pretending to be law enforcement officers or government officials pressuring people to share personal information either immediately or on a deadline.
“What we could be doing as a community is we should protect our personal information, we should ask verifying questions of the caller, we should be aware of any pressure tactics and skeptical of any unsolicited offers," Langham said. "Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel like a real call and it’s odd, get off the phone with that person and call a local law enforcement.”
Langham says some fraudulent callers use the real names of law enforcement officers to make a scam seem more legitimate. He says it’s very unlikely a law enforcement officer would call asking for personal information.
His advice if you believe you’re the victim of a scam call: ask the potential scammer their name, what agency they work for and hang up the phone. Then, look up the phone number for the agency the potential scammer says they're representing, and request to speak to the individual they may have been pretending to be.
“I would just encourage folks to be aware, continue to educate yourselves that there are scams that exist," Langham says. "Be cognizant of that, don’t divulge any personal information.”
As a general rule of thumb, police departments don’t ask for payments or personal information over the phone, he says. If you need to pay a fee to a police department, Langham suggests doing it in person.
The Anchorage Police Department has also warned residents about similar scams.
If you receive a scam call, you can file an online report with the Federal Trade Commission. Langham also recommends reporting scam police calls to your local law enforcement agency.
