By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Scammers are apparently becoming a little bolder these days, as city police received a report of a phone call that was shown on caller ID to have originated from Atmore Police Department’s primary non-emergency telephone number.
Police Chief Chuck Brooks said the complainant noticed the APD number on his phone and answered the call, only to have someone warn him that he had an outstanding warrant against him and needed to pay it.
“The call came from 368-9141,” Brooks said. “It was cloned to look like it came from the police department, but it didn’t. We might call somebody and tell them we have a warrant for them, but we never ask anybody to pay by phone.”
The police chief said APD detectives would do what they could to track down the person responsible for such calls. But, he admitted, the chances of that happening are pretty slim.
“I imagine the call came from somewhere overseas,” he said. “If that’s the case, we probably won’t ever know who it is that’s calling. But it’s a scam.”
Several months ago, another caller claimed to have Brooks on a conference call when he “phished” personal information from an employee of a local fast-food establishment.
Any citizen who receives a similar call, or any call that sounds suspicious, should hang up and immediately call 251-368-9141 to report it, the police chief said.