TOWSON, MD—The Baltimore County Police Department is issuing a warning to residents following a reported increase in scammers posing as police officers and demanding money and personal information over the phone.

These scammers are part of a regional trend, according to the department. The Baltimore County Police Department emphasizes that they never solicit funds, bank details, or social security numbers over the phone or in person.

Residents are advised to be wary of unsolicited phone calls, especially from unknown numbers. The department recommends hanging up immediately if the caller is unexpected, even if they ask you to press a button to stop receiving calls.

To verify legitimate calls, the department suggests hanging up and calling back using a number obtained from a bill, statement, or official website.

The police department also urges residents to be suspicious of persuasive scammers who may ask innocuous questions, sound threatening, or make offers that seem too good to be true.

Residents can report spoofing scams to law enforcement, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The department also recommends asking your phone company about call-blocking tools for landlines or mobile devices.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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