Moody Issues Consumer Alert for Police Imposter Scams

Today, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians that there is an increase in imposter scam phone calls that are claiming to be from Florida law enforcement. A recent report issued by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center warned that a number of scammers have been posing as Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies while attempting to call local residents in an attempt to receive personal and financial information.

In a statement, Moody informed that “criminals are always looking for new angles to scam Floridians, but it is extremely brazen to impersonate law enforcement in an attempt to defraud others.” Adding that she is married to a law enforcement officer, she noted that she is “appalled that scammers are posing as police to steal from Floridians.”

“If anyone receives one of these imposter calls claiming to be a local law enforcement official – ask questions, record the phone number and then look up the correct number for the law enforcement agency and report the crime,” Moody urged.

Last year, Moody released a resource called Scams at a Glance: Imposter Scams, which helps “consumers protect themselves from imposter scams similar to the emerging police imposter scam.”

The Scams at a Glance brochure can be seen here.