AUSTIN, Texas — Scammers are now targeting Austinites with their latest phone calls.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officials were told recently that phone calls impersonating an APD chief have been going around.
APD said the caller usually demands payment in exchange for settling a fine, fee or warrant. They also warned that the calls were coming from an "official looking" phone number.
Recently, residents in Burnet County were warned about a jury duty scam that used "some very convincing tactics" that included using the names of current deputies and spoofing the phone number of the Burnet County Sheriff's Office.
Similar phone calls involving jury duty were received by residents in Gillespie County, while those living in Lakeway were threatened with being arrested if they didn't pay a specific dollar amount.
What to do if you get a caller claiming to be APD
APD said you should always look up the agency phone number and email to confirm it's legitimate. APD also said the department will never call to demand payment of any kind to settle a fine, fee or warrant.
You're also urged to not share any personal information with the caller. If verifying the caller fails, police say you should report it to 311.
