Caller portrays Athens-Clarke County detectives in 'spoofing' scam, police say
ATHENS, Ga. - Police in Athens-Clarke County said Tuesday investigators are working to learn who is manipulating caller ID to pose as a detective and scam businesses out of money.
Athens police said investigators are aware of two separate incidents of someone scamming people out of money by posing as an Athens-Clarke County Police Department detective.
In both cases, the person manipulated caller ID on the victim's phone so that a phone number associated with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department appeared as the incoming caller.
Police said the suspect told businesses they were under investigation for counterfeit money. The suspect allegedly instructed victims to send money from their personal banking accounts with Venmo, Cash App and by purchasing Green Dot cards.
VENMO, ROBINHOOD, OTHER MONEY APP USERS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAYOUT
Police said anyone who receives a suspicious call should hang up and report it to Athens-Clarke County police at 706-613-3330 to be transferred to the legitimate personnel.
What is spoofing?
The Federal Communications Commission says spoofing is when "a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity."
You can file a complaint with the FCC if you suspect you're a victim of spoofing.
Officials recommend you hang up if you think you're a victim of spoofing.
How to avoid spoofing
Don't answer calls from unknown numbers and don't respond to questions, especially ones answered with a "yes" or "no."
If you're contacted by someone claiming to represent a government agency, call the phone number on the agency's website to verify.