BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — The Brookhaven Police Department wants residents to be aware of scammers who are posing as officers and asking for money. One victim has already lost thousands, authorities said.
Police learned about the issue after a resident left a message on the investigators' tip line regarding a scam attempt; a few others also alerted them of the scam.
Officers said on May 10, a resident received a voicemail from someone claiming to be with the Brookhaven Police Department and asked that she call back from a different number.
"The scammer then identified himself as a police Lieutenant with the Brookhaven Police Department stating she had two outstanding citations that she failed to appear in court for," police said in a news release. "The scammers then advised her she had to pay $10,000 to clear up the citations. The victim was ultimately scammed out of $4,000 because of the scammer’s tactics."
Brookhaven Police said the scammers are using an unknown application to clone the department's phone number so that it shows up on the person's caller I.D.
"The Brookhaven Police Department wants to warn citizens that police agencies will never demand payment for outstanding citations or warrants over the phone," officers said. "Citizens are being advised if they are being threatened over the phone for money in any way, to contact their local law enforcement agency."
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