The Iowa City Police Department issued a warning on Wednesday about a phone scam targeting local citizens and using what appears to be an ICPD phone number. The caller claims to be an ICPD employee who is calling to inform the person a family member has been arrested and needs bail money. The caller then asks for personal information and for payment to cover the cost of bail.
“Iowa City Police employees will never request personal information over the phone, and will never ask for financial information,” ICPD explained in a press release.
ICPD also offered the following recommendations regarding phone scams:
• If you believe the call is suspicious, hang up.
• Do not give any personal information, such as social security or bank account numbers, over the phone.
• If the caller claims to be from a specific agency, hang up and call that agency to determine if there is a legitimate reason to contact you. Do not use the phone number the caller gives you.
• Never trust callers who use threats and hostility to bully you into doing what they want.
Any Iowa City resident who has received a call they suspect is part of a phone scam, should contact the ICPD at 319-356-5275.
