Residents have received phone calls, text messages, and emails from someone identifying themselves as a police officer from a police department or an employee with a federal agency. Some residents are receiving notifications from other sources advising that they owe money or their identity has been compromised or you may have a warrant for your arrest. Phone scammers often disguise their identity by using illegal spoofing techniques to send false information to your caller ID display. In most of these cases, residents are advised to purchase gift cards to fix the issue. Once the gift cards are purchased the resident provides the authorization numbers from the cards to the caller. Once the caller has those numbers the funds on the gift cards can be spent without physical possession of the cards. If you receive a phone call like this DO NOT give the caller any personal or account information.  If anyone tells you to pay by gift card or by wiring money—for any reason—that’s a sure sign of a scam. Visit this site and find more information about these types of scams and how to report them to the Federal Trade Commission https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/search/site/paying%20scammers
In any situation where you feel that you have been contacted by a scammer or have been scammed please to not hesitate to contact the Annapolis Police Department at 410-268-4141.

Please see the latest information on the Hogan Administration’s COVID 19 Response at : www.governor.maryland.gov/coronavirus