ANOTHER BRAZOS VALLEY SCAM ALERT

  

Residents of the Brazos Valley are again receiving phone calls from what police are calling scammers

Since last Thursday, the College Station police have received numerous phone calls from citizens regarding suspicious activity, and feel they are the victims of an attempted scam.

The victims have been almost exclusively international students who have received phone calls from persons allegedly from the “police department” demanding payment for a variety of alleged violations or problems. These calls and allegations have included, but not limited to:

• Statement that the person has a warrant for their arrest and demanding payment under threat of incarceration

• Statement that the person owes a fine or taxes and that if payment is not made then the person faces expulsion/removal from school

• Statement that the person is owed money and the caller needs their bank information to “refund” the money to them

• Statement that payment for these “violations” can be made by releasing of the person’s banking information and/or obtaining and distribution of pre-paid gift cards.

The College Station police department does not collect fines, or taxes over the phone, remove people from institutions over higher learning, or distribute lost monies by obtaining personally identifying information and bank account data.

If anyone receives one of these calls that they believe may be a scam, or a phone call that indicates it is coming from the police department, ask to speak to the person that identifies themselves as a representative of that agency.