Crime & Safety
Police: Scammer Claimed to be DEA Agent With Warrant
A Hillsdale man received bogus phone calls from someone claiming DEA agents were coming to arrest him.
Hillsdale Police warned residents to be wary of any law enforcement agency attempting to conduct business over the phone after a borough resident reported receiving scam phone calls from a bogus DEA agent.
The man came into Hillsdale Police Headquarters Sunday to report that he had received two calls from someone claiming the Drug Enforcement Administration had an arrest warrant for him and was headed to his home, according to Police Officer William Diedtrich.
The calls were apparently part of a scam, in which the fraudster tells the victim they will be arrested unless they pay a fine via wire transfer, according to an alert from the DEA.
"The public should be aware that no DEA agent will ever contact members of the public by telephone to demand money or any other form of payment," according to the alert.
Many of the victims of this scam have purchased medication with a credit card online or via the phone and some have also reported fraudulent use of their credit cards, according to the DEA.
Anyone who believes they have received a similar scam call can report it to the DEA at 1-877-792-2873.
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