BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield Police Department is warning the public about a phone scam involving a person pretending to be part of local law enforcement.
The office said Kern County residents have reported receiving phone calls of an individual who identifies himself as a local law enforcement official. In one case, the caller told the victim there was an outstanding warrant for her arrest.
The unidentified caller told the woman her bail was set at $10,000 and she needed to stay on the line and go to an ATM. She did not comply and hung up immediately, Bakersfield Police Department officials said.
The Bakersfield Police Department wants to remind citizens not to respond to unsolicited calls. If answered, the department said citizen should end the call. Scammers can manipulate caller ID information to show that their phone number is coming from a police station, a utility company or bank, according to the department.
If you have any doubt about the validity of the caller’s claims, officials advise to call the organization the caller is representing and determine whether the callers claims are fact or fiction.
The office wants members of the community to remember that Bakersfield Police Department employees do not call residents promising to clear warrants by making payments over the phone, the department said.
