Police warn of a new pay-by-phone ticket scam popping up in the Bay Area.
Morgan Hill-resident Laura Bell was recently contacted by a man who attempted to lure her into the scam, which uses detailed information about the potential victim and their neighborhood.
Bell received a call from a man who identified himself as Lt. Gerry Mills. The caller told her traffic cameras captured her rolling through a red light when she was driving and that she was a no-show to her court appearance.
"You automatically go to what could I have done?" Bell said. "What was I doing?"
Bell said she started getting worried when the caller told her the was a warrant out for her arrest. The scammer then said a quick payment through an online service called Green Dot would take care of the misunderstanding until her next court date. The man even provided her the address and time for her next court appearance.
"They are very, very convincing," Bell said.
Before she opened her wallet to pay the $489 he requested, Bell's family made a call to the police department where officer said Lt. Gerry Mills didn't work at the department. There was another red flag -- police said Morgan Hill doesn't have traffic cameras at the intersection the scammer referenced to when speaking to Bell.
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Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Carson Thomas said neither the courts nor police department will ask for personal information over the phone. He also said whoever Bell was talking to could face serious charges.
"Fraud information, pretending to be someone in law enforcement that they're not, multiple crimes just off the surface of this phone call," Thomas said.
Anyone who suspects being contacted by a scammer should attempt to get as much information out of the caller -- name, phone number or anything to help locate the person, police said.
In Bell's case, the call was likely made over the Internet, which makes it challenging for investigators to pin point the scammer.
Morgan Hill police said the most common phone scam is IRS related.
- Police offer the following tips to prevent the IRS scam:
- The IRS will never call about taxes owed without mailing an official notice.
- The IRS will never demand you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question the amount you supposedly owe.
- The IRS will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- The IRS will never threaten to bring in local police to have you arrested for not paying.
