COLORADO SPRINGS — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is investigating new cases of alleged scams where they say criminals pose as law enforcement members and demand payments in Gold or other precious metals.
The alleged criminals will claim the victim did the following before demanding the gold payment:
missed jury dutyfailed to show up to court for a subpoenaneed to turn themselves in on a warrant and then demand immediate payment to resolve the situation
CSPD says these alleged scams sound real, and the alleged criminals will usually have information about the victim that sounds legitimate.
The department reminds you CSPD nor any other law enforcement agency will ever ask for payment over the phone, especially not through cryptocurrency.
CSPD says the two new cases involved individuals purchasing Gold from legitimate dealers, but then turning it over to alleged scammers in hopes of protecting their assets.
Police believe there are more cases involving this that are going unreported. If you have been of victim of an incident similar to this or have another potential scam to report, you are asked to call CSPD at (719)444-7000.
CSPD also wants community members to do the following to prevent themselves from falling victim to alleged scams:
Be careful of what you post on social media. Scammers can get personal information about you and your family that they try to use to their advantage. If you get a call from someone who is asking to pay a fine, warrant, or fee via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or precious metals such as Gold, stop and take a moment. Remember that law enforcement will never solicit payment over the phone, especially through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or Gold. If the caller says they are from law enforcement, hang up and look up the contact information for that agency. Call them back at the publicly listed number to contact them and to verify the information. If they are the CEO of the company or business, verify the information with a manager or another employee. Do not click on web address links from texts or emails; do your own internet search for the website or phone number to contact them.
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