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Boston police issue alert on phone scammer tactics

1 min read

BOSTON — The Boston Police Department is warning residents of a recent spate of deceptive phone calls made from what appears to be a legitimate BPD phone number, prompting a community alert to educate the public on handling potential phone scams.

Authorities are emphasizing the importance of residents maintaining control during phone calls and advising them to hang up immediately if they suspect a scam.

In cases where monetary demands are made, particularly if the scammer asks for funds to be sent via MoneyGram or Western Union, the BPD is emphasizing that this is a clear sign of fraud.

The department is urging the community to discuss these scams openly with family and friends, noting that awareness is a key defense against scammers who are skilled at executing their deceit.

They advise that if a call or text comes from an unrecognized number, it is safer not to answer.

Legitimate contacts will likely leave a message, providing an opportunity to verify the caller.

To combat this issue, the BPD is instructing residents to note down the phone number of the suspected scammer and report it immediately to the department or local police.

They caution that caller ID information can be manipulated to show any name or number the scammer chooses.

Victims of phone or internet fraud are also encouraged to report incidents to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1(877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261.

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