Laramie Police: Fake Cops Are Shaking Down People Via Phone Calls

The Laramie Police Department is warning people about con artists calling up residents and demanding payment for supposed citations.

That's according to a post on the agency's Facebook page

The scammers have developed a routine that includes identifying themselves as a Laramie Police Officer followed by a fake badge number. The '"officer" then demands payment over the phone,

But according to the post, the LPD will never ask you for payment over the phone. The post goes on to say ""If you are not sure if it is one of our officers you are speaking with, hang up and call us back on the non-emergent number (307-721-2526) to confirm it is one of our officers."

Fake Police Officer Scam Is Common, But Apparently Effective

The fake police officer phone scam is one of the oldest and most common scams in the United States. The fact that it remains such a common scam indicates that it must be working in many cases, as con artists don't waste time on scams that don't make money.

Like another common scam, that of con artists impersonating Internal Revenue Service agents, it works because dealing with a supposed authority figure can intimidate people into making bad decisions. Those who are good at the scam often employ high-pressure tactics, short or immediate deadlines, and a menacing but believable persona.

The FBI offers the following tips for dealing with these and similar scam calls:

• Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
• Do not send money to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
• Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know