Don’t Be a Victim: Scam Alert for Fake APD Sergeant

Scammers are working overtime in Amarillo, Texas. We're constantly seeing alerts about scams targeting our social media newsfeeds. They're sending us physical mail. They've even taken to posing as law enforcement and judges from the area. Amarillo Police Department has issued a new scam alert over a scam where someone is pretending to be an APD Sergeant.

A New Scam Involving A Call From A Supposed "Police Sergeant"

According to the alert that was put out on social media, scammers are once again pretending to be local law enforcement. Their goal is to call you and scare you into giving them a ton of cash. What adds an extra layer to their scare tactics, is pretending to be an APD Sergeant.

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No one wants to receive a phone call from a person identifying as a law enforcement officer telling us that we're wanted for a crime. Most of us would want to do everything we could to remedy the situation and get out of trouble. It's easy to understand why some people might take the bait with this new scam.

How Does The Scam Work?

The setup is pretty simple. The scammer will call their intended victim and pose as APD Sergeant Kevin Anderson. They inform the victim that they are wanted on several warrants and that the only way to get them to go away is to pay with Bitcoin. Yes, once again they're demanding Bitcoin.

It's a bold plan. Posing as law enforcement makes it easier for them to intimidate their target, but the Bitcoin part is where things get weird for me. How many of us have a working knowledge of how to make purchases and transfer Bitcoin, or even own some Bitcoin for that matter? It's gutsy expecting people to just have the knowledge to willy-nilly transfer Bitcoin between wallets.

Don't Be A Victim! Here's What You Should Do

According to the information put out by APD, there are some things you can do to protect yourself.

• Remember that law enforcement will never ask you to pay for anything in Bitcoin
• If someone claims to be an officer, get their badge number and ID
• Hang up and call the police department yourself. They'll be able to tell you if anything you were told is legit.

We're being hit with new scams constantly. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from them is to remain calm and think. They're hoping they can rattle you into making a snap decision that separates you from your hard-earned money or information.