CRANSTON — The Cranston Police Department is alerting the community to a scam involving individuals impersonating police officers.
According to reports, residents have received calls from scammers claiming to represent the department.
The fraudulent callers allege that the resident missed a court date, supposedly as a witness in a case, and now has a bench warrant issued against them.
The scammer then demands a substantial payment to resolve the alleged warrant, instructing the victim to use Bitcoin ATMs, Apple Pay, or other electronic payment methods.
In some instances, the scammers leave voicemails for residents, displaying the official number of the Cranston Police Department on their caller ID but requesting a callback to a different number.
The Cranston Police Department emphasizes that it does not request payments over the phone nor ask for Bitcoin or any other form of electronic funds transfer.
Officials urge residents who receive such calls to hang up immediately and contact the department directly at (401) 942-2211 to report the incident and verify any claims.
Residents are reminded to never provide personal or financial information over the phone to unsolicited callers.
The Cranston Police Department is actively investigating the scam and advises the public to stay vigilant against these deceptive practices.
