Police: Scammer posing as Overland Park detective is calling to ask for gift cards
A scammer is posing as a member of the Overland Park Police Department in an attempt to get money from whomever answers the suspect’s calls, police said.
At least one person posing as a detective with the department has been calling people and convincing them to purchase gift cards, Officer John Lacy, a spokesman with the Overland Park Police Department, said in a news release Tuesday.
Beginning Friday, the department began getting reports of an unknown person calling members of the community to tell them they needed to buy gift cards “in order to satisfy outstanding warrants with the City of Overland Park,” according to the release.
He shared with media an audio clip of a voicemail in which the scammer, who sounded like a man, introduced themselves as being with the department.
“This is in regards to an ongoing matter that will require your immediate attention today,” the scammer said.
The scammer then asked the victim to call him back as soon as possible.
“We could try to get to the bottom of this over the telephone versus having you contact me in person, ma’am,” the scammer said. “I do look forward to speaking with you about this ongoing matter.”
Law enforcement would never ask someone for payment over the phone, or for gift cards, police said.
The department is asking anyone who receives suspicious calls to contact their non-emergency dispatch number at 913-895-6300.
Several other people have become victims of a similar scam, Lacy said.
Earlier this month, scammers also defrauded a 78-year-old Gladstone woman out of at least $75,000, depleting both her and her son’s entire life savings from their joint account, the Kansas City Police Department said in a news release.
In that case the scammer initially contacted the victim and said they were with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The scammer then told her she “was the victim of international criminals,” according to police.
She later told police the scammers told her she was being followed. The scammers also told her if she called police, something bad would happen to her or her son, officials said.
The scammers, who had accessed her account, “ordered” her each day to withdraw money from her account and use it to buy gift cards, then transfer the gift cards to them.
The Kansas City police department is encouraging the community to check in with and warn any elderly family or friends about similar scams.
