Superintendent Colonel William Crotty
Dover – The Delaware State Police are issuing the following advisory in response to a recent phone scam involving a “spoofed phone number”.
The Delaware State Police were made aware of two incidents in which individuals received a phone call from a female claiming to be an Agent from Dover, Delaware. The caller identified herself as Agent Lisa Smith and provided a badge number #K4L14799. The caller advised the victims that an abandoned vehicle was found in Texas with their name and social security number. The caller then provided the victims with several addresses and asked them to confirm where they have resided in the past. The caller suggested to the victims to look up the phone number in which she was calling from so that the victims would see that it is in fact a Delaware State Police issued phone number. The caller advised the victims that if they did not provide her with the information she was seeking, she would send the police to their residence immediately.
Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.
This information was provided through the Federal Communications Commissions website located at:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id
Many of these scams are difficult to investigate. They will target persons of all age groups. The Delaware State Police is asking citizens to remember the tips previously mentioned in order to not become a victim of one of these scam artists.
If you suspect you have been a victim of this scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com
You can follow the Delaware State Police by clicking on:
Delaware State Police Official Web Site
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Presented by Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe
Released: 1217618 1407
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