Amarillo police warn public about phone call with scammer posing as officer

The Amarillo Police Department (APD) is warning the public about a local phone scam using an Amarillo officer's actual name.

APD said in an update, "We just received information from an Amarillo citizen about someone posing as an Amarillo Police Sergeant and asking her to call them back about a civil matter." APD notes that in the message left by the scammer, the name of one of Amarillo's patrol sergeants was given, and the number the scammer called from went back to the Greenville, S.C. police department's fax machine.

"This citizen did what we want everyone to do. She looked up the number to the Amarillo Police and called to verify. She talked to the Sergeant who confirmed he did not call her, and she gave us this screenshot to share," APD said.

APD reminds the public to not "just automatically believe them when they say they are someone official."

Scammers will try anything including threats to cause confusion and panic. "If it really is the police, then when you look up the number and call us back, we will tell you and we will tell you what you need to do next," APD said.

Amarillo police recommend following these tips to avoid getting victimized by scams:

• Do not answer any calls from phone numbers you don't recognize; let it go to voicemail.

• Verify independently the information the person on the phone gives you.

• Disconnect and ask someone you trust about the situation.

• Trust your gut; 99% of the time, citizens know they are being scammed but do not trust their instincts.

• If you still are not sure about the situation, contact the Amarillo Police Department PIO office at 806-378-4257; they can help.

• Check the Better Business Bureau scam tracker for a list of ongoing scams in the area online at https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo police warn of phone scam involving officer names