Arlington Police Warn Residents After Recent Attempted Phone Scams

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington officials are offering advice to help local residents avoid becoming victims of phone scams.

The Arlington Police Department said it has received reports of two kinds of scams recently.

The first was reported by a senior resident who said he received a call from someone posing as a representative from the Arlington Department of Health and Human Services. The caller was seeking personal information, including the resident's social security number, according to officials.

The APD said it also received reports of phone scams in which the caller was "spoofing" the department's business line and asking for financial donations. Spoofing, according to the department, involves a person intentionally changing a phone number so that it appears on caller ID as a different number.

"(Residents) should NEVER give personal information, social security numbers or credit card numbers to people who call their homes or cell phones unsolicited," Arlington officials said in a statement.

In a recent blog post, APD Chief Julie Flaherty and Arlington Department of Health and Human Services Director Christine Bongiorno reminded residents about the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) tips to help people avoid spoofing:

• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or government agency, hang up and call the phone number on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the call. Report anyone claiming to be a government worker to the police.
• Monitor incoming calls. Do not pick up unknown numbers or random calls. If a call is important, the caller will leave a message.
• Know that even "local" numbers on caller ID may not be from a local caller.
• If you answer the phone and the caller — or a recording — asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes" or "No."
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, social security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.

Recently, the Middlesex Sheriff's Office (MSO) warned local residents about an ongoing phone scam that involves scammers posing as MSO personnel and demanding money.

Anyone with questions about phone scams or who has become a victim of a scam is encouraged to call the APD at 781-643-1212.