POULSBO, Wash. — An officer with the Poulsbo Police Department (PPD) stopped a scam in progress while the victim was on the phone with the scammer on December 4.
The officer was called to a local bank to reports of fraud while a resident was on the phone with a scammer, PPD said.
The scammer reportedly told the victim they were with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the victim had outstanding citations and needed to pay to avoid arrest.
They were instructed to pay via bar codes sent to the victim’s phone, PPD said.
The officer then went to the victim’s home and got there in time while they were still on the phone with the scammer to prevent a $7,500 loss.
The Poulso Police Department posted the following tips to avoid being scammed:
- Police will never demand payment by phone.
- Don’t give out personal or banking information.
- Hang up and call the agency directly.
- If it feels rushed or threatening, it’s likely a scam.
- Report any suspicious messages to the police