Phone scams reported to Clarksville Police: Here's how they work | ClarksvilleNow.com - Clarksville Now

CLARKSVILLE, TN – The Clarksville Police Department has taken several reports of false pretense or "scams" over the last several months.

Several businesses and individuals have received phone calls, text messages or even FaceBook messages from an individual representing themself as law enforcement or some other type of governmental official. The caller would give a story of some type of ongoing investigation or that they possibly have a warrant out for their arrest. In order for them to keep from going to jail, they would need to pay some type of fine or fee.

One caller told the clerk to take all the money from the register of the business and put the money on a "Green Dot" card. Another caller claimed the individual had won emergency funds from a global grant and was asked to send a copy of their driver's license. Once that was done, they requested they purchase two Apple gift cards for $500 each and send them pictures of the back with the security code made visible.

Recently a woman was called and told she missed jury duty and that she needed to pay a fine. The individual used a practice called "caller ID spoofing," which is the practice of falsifying the information about an incoming call on the receiver's caller ID display. Scammers will manipulate the caller ID so that the call appears to be coming from a local or well-known phone number, making it more likely to be trusted or answered.

The bottom line is that law enforcement will never accept money to resolve a warrant; they will serve the warrant on you or direct you to turn yourself in. Never provide personal information over the phone unless it is a business transaction that you have initiated.