Impersonation Phone Scams
The Pittsburg Police Department would like to remind residents to remain vigilant against Impersonation Phone Scammers.
Residents are reminded that they should be leery of anyone claiming to be a government official (i.e. a law enforcement official, IRS official, District Court Judge, etc.) who demands immediate payment or requests sensitive personal identifying information (such as your social security number) over the phone.
Furthermore, you should exercise extreme caution if the individual requests that you wire money, provide credit or debit card information, or purchase a pre-paid debit or gift card over the phone.
During an Impersonation Phone Scam, the suspect will contact a victim by phone and claim to be an officer or agent with a legitimate government agency (i.e. the Internal Revenue Service, the Pittsburg Police Department, etc.).
The suspect tells the victim that they owe taxes, or have an existing warrant for their arrest, and if they do not pay the fine immediately, they will arrest the victim. The suspect will then request payment through either a wire transfer (i.e. MoneyGram, Western Union), by having the victim provide their debit or credit card number over the phone, or have the victim purchase a prepaid debit or gift card and provide the number of this card over the phone.
The Pittsburg Police Department recommends you take the following steps if you suspect someone is trying to pull this fraud on you. First, request the official’s name and badge employee number, and then ask to call the official immediately back at the agency’s published phone number.
You can contact local agencies at these phone numbers:
• Pittsburg Police Department – (620) 231-1700
• Crawford County Sheriff’s Office – (620) 724-8274
• Internal Revenue Service – (899) 829-1040
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (Joplin) – (417) 206-5700
If you have already received a similar phone call and believe you are a victim of fraud, please contact your local law enforcement agency and request to file a report.
Contact the Pittsburg Police Department at (620) 231-1700, or at our Tips Hotline (620) 231-TIPS (8477), if you have information related to these incidents or other crimes. Callers may remain anonymous.