Police warn of phone scam on the rise in central Ohio
GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Gahanna Police Department is alarming the public as a phone scam is circulating in central Ohio.
Gahanna Detective Blair Thomas said scammers are calling and acting as law enforcement officers to receive money or personal information. During the call, scammers will act as they are from Gahanna of Columbus police and claim you missed jury duty or owe a fine. Blair said she’s heard from many people who have experienced this fake call.
“They were told they were going to be arrested if they didn’t provide funds for whatever fine that was being imposed,” said Thomas. “So they went to the bank to get the funds out.”
She said the easiest way to tell the difference between a scam and a real call is the sense of urgency. Scammers will claim “you have to do this now, we’re coming to your house now to arrest you," she said. "They will really try to get you to move quickly so you don’t have time to think that a scam might be going on.”
If you find yourself in this situation, Thomas said to remain calm and think logically.
“Try to slow them down a little bit. If it looks like it’s coming from the Gahanna police and the phone number on your caller ID looks like it’s coming from the Gahanna police, you can say I’ll call you back in a couple of minutes,” said Thomas. “Then call the number you know as the Gahanna police and ask questions.”
Thomas said that if local law enforcement are trying to contact you, they’ll typically come right to your door.
“We do not call people and say 'Go buy $500 in iTunes gift cards or send us the cash right now,' those types of things. We don’t do that,” said Thomas.
Central Ohio residents who may have fallen victim to a scam are encouraged to reach out to your local police department.