DOVER, Del. - Delaware State Police are alerting the public to a recurring phone scam involving a “spoofed phone number.”
Several people have reported received phone calls from a Delaware State Police-issued telephone number. Only the number appears on the caller ID; if that number is looked up, it shows that it is a valid Delaware State Police phone number.
Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity. Spoofing is often used to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
Delaware State Police are reminding the public that they will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets, or bail. All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Electronic payments are also never requested via phone for court matters.
If someone calls you regarding a family member, do not offer personal information about yourself or the family member. Immediately attempt to contact the family to verify their status on your own. Indicators of scam calls are threats, orders not to hang up, and other statements where the scammer places urgency on their request for information or money.
Please visit this website for more information on How to Avoid Spoofing: Caller ID Spoofing | Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)