North Huntingdon police are warning residents to beware of a telephone scam by a someone posing as a township police officer who tells them they can use a gift card to pay an arrest warrant issued against them.
Chief Robert Rizzo said Wednesday the intended target did not fall for the scam by someone claiming to be North Huntingdon Officer Robert Jones. The police department does not have an officer named Jones, Rizzo said. The caller did not know the first name of his intended target, police said.
Other police departments have received reports of similar scams where the caller says the target’s “arrest warrant” can be paid with a Google or Apple gift card.
“The majority of these scams use scare tactics with the threat of incarceration to pressure people into acting quickly without thinking and believing their ruse. Do not fall for it,” Rizzo said.
Anyone receiving a similar call or who may have been victimized by the scam are asked to contact police at 724-863-8800.
