On Monday, the Oak Ridge Police were informed of a phone scam. Victims were contacted by someone pretending to be an Officer with the Oak Ridge Police Department. The scammer was telling the victims that they were going to arrest them for “sending explicit pictures of themselves to minors“.
Some cases they identified themselves as “LT. STINER, BADGE NUMBER 1357”. The scammer informed victims that there was evidence against them from talking to minors on dating apps. In some cases, scammers have more sophisticated technology and are able to manipulate caller ID data to show that the call is actually coming from an agency.
These scammers are looking to use scare tactics on their victims and make them “pay the debt, immediately”. Often, the scammer says that if it is not paid in full that the warrant will be executed.
The Oak Ridge Police Department says, ” We usually do not call individuals to inform them that they have a warrant for their arrest. Instead, we like to show up in person to arrest you. If the debt is a valid one, the recipient will usually receive a certified letter saying if a particular legal action is being taken.”
