DOVER — The Dover Police Department has issued an alert after three residents reported phone scams on Tuesday where callers posed as police officers and claimed the residents had missed court dates or owed money to the IRS.
Police officials said the scammers used “spoofing” technology to make the calls appear to come from the police department’s legitimate phone number.
“Spoofing” involves using internet services to disguise the caller’s actual phone number to make it appear the call is coming from a trusted source.
The department emphasized that they would never contact residents by phone regarding missed court dates or IRS debts.
Anyone receiving such calls is urged to contact Dover Police Dispatch at 742-4646, and a uniformed officer will be sent to take a report.
Residents who question the legitimacy of any contact from someone claiming to be with the police department can also call dispatch to verify the caller’s identity.
