Special to IFN

The Mooresville Police Department is warning the public of ongoing phone scams in which scammers are impersonating law enforcement agencies.

Callers are impersonating MPD among other agencies by replicating real government phone numbers to appear legitimate. Scammers may reference a rank/title—often of a former MPD employee—to add credibility.

The scammers are telling the victims that an arrest warrant has been issued for the victim. The scammer will then solicit money from the victim as an alternative to being arrested, most often the requested payment is in the form of cryptocurrency or gift cards.

If you happen to receive unsolicited phone calls similar in nature:

• Do not feel pressured to act. Scammers may have some public information about you (like your name and address), but that does not mean their claims are legitimate.
• Do not share your credit card number, personal information, or other financial information.
• Do not wire/transfer funds to anyone you do not know.
• Hang up but take note of the number the call came from. If you received a voicemail similar in nature, do not call that number back.
• Verify scammers claims by contacting the agency the caller claimed to be from using the contact phone numbers provided on official agency websites or social media accounts.
• Share what you know with others. By telling your friends and family members about the scam, you can help protect your community.

The Mooresville Police Department will never solicit anyone for monetary funds, bank information, or social security numbers. No law enforcement agency will ever demand payment by phone or in the form of cryptocurrency or gift cards.

If you have fallen victim to a phone scam, call the Mooresville Police Department at 704-664-3311 or file a report online at MooresvilleNC.gov/CrimeReport. Individuals can also report scams directly to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.