Buffalo Residents Warned About Police Impersonation Scams

If there is one thing that we know for a fact is that if there is a way for people to trick you out of your hard-earned money or assets, they will try it. Scammers are always going to find a way to get around having to be upstanding people and get things the legal way, as most regular people do.

It doesn't matter the means, as there are all sorts of scams out there. From tax rebate scams and travel scams to EBT and Food Stamp scams, unfortunately, in any modern society, this is a fact of life, so that means it's up to us as individuals and groups to make sure we're knowledgeable about the different kinds of scams out there and the new ways that people will try to fool you.

But just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, there are scammers out there now pretending to be from the police department that is sworn to protect the residents of New York State's second-largest city.

Scammers Are Now Impersonating Buffalo Police Officers

In a post on social media, the Buffalo Police Department announced that they are investigating a series of people using the telephone to impersonate members of the BPD.

The way the scam works is that someone calls you and pretends they're from the BPD while using technology to spoof or pretend their call is coming from Buffalo Police Headquarters. The caller then claims there are bills owed to the city and demands payment, or the person will be arrested or have a warrant issued against them.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, this is not a new scam, but it's just now making its way to Buffalo.

It's important to know that the Buffalo Police, or any police agency, will not call you and demand that you pay them over the phone. If this happens, then it's likely a scam, and you should report it immediately.

If you're in Buffalo and this happens to you, you should call or text the Buffalo Police Tip line immediately at 716-847-2255.