LYNN – The Lynn Police Department is addressing an incident related to a scam caller posing as the LPD.
According to a statement made by the LPD on Facebook, a Lynn resident received a phone call spoofed to appear as “Police Lynn” at 595-2000. The caller identified herself as Chief Chris Reddy, and knew the resident’s name, email address, and home address.
The post also stated that the caller then “asked whether the resident had recently traveled to Mexico, Panama, or Colombia, and claimed the resident may have purchased a chemical being delivered to their home that would contain fentanyl or cocaine. The caller stated this was a common scam used by drug cartels.”
It continued, “The caller then threatened to contact Homeland Security and have the resident arrested and incarcerated for 30 years if they disconnected the call or failed to follow instructions. The caller ultimately disconnected. It is unknown whether the scam was leading toward a request for a financial payment to avoid the fictitious jail time.”
LPD advised residents on what steps to take in this situation.
“The phone number used was spoofed to display the Lynn Police business line. This is a scam. The Lynn Police will never call you and demand payment. Do not provide money or anything of value to anyone you do not know. Disconnect if you are contacted by these scammers and do not provide any information” LPD wrote on Facebook.
Lieutenant Richard Connick said that, “usually incidents like this come in waves and there’s a lag in reporting, that’s why we’re trying to get ahead of it. We could have more calls coming in.”
As for the possible origin of these scam calls, Lt. Connick added that the majority of them happen overseas, therefore they are outside of the LPD’s jurisdiction.
“Prevention is our number one tool to fight against this. We’re challenged at how far we can take these investigations,” Lt. Connick said.
Lt. Connick said prevention methods should involve residents being aware that these events are happening, and awareness that caller ID numbers can be faked. He advised that residents ignore the calls and refrain from providing any personal information.
“The police are never going to call you and threaten arrest for payments, whether it’s cash, money, gift cards, bitcoin, or fines. Never provide money or anything of value. Disconnect even if the caller is saying you’ll be arrested if you disconnect,” Lt. Connick said.
