MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Scam calls are on the rise in Marana — here's what you need to know to protect your money and personal information.
It all starts with the ring of your phone.
“The victim answers the phone, and the scammer will then pose as a member of our department or law enforcement agency,” said Marana Police Sergeant Vincent Rizzi.
He explained that the scammer may say you missed jury duty, have a warrant out for your arrest and you need to send money.
“If you’re hearing things like bitcoin, go purchase gift cards, wire transfers, things like that – it’s most likely fraud,” Sgt. Rizzi said.
According to Truecaller, Americans lose over $25 billion annually to phone scams.
“If something just doesn’t seem right, pause,” Sgt. Rizzi said. “If it’s a phone call, ask for clarifying information.”
He said you can ask for a badge number or how to spell their supposed last name. If there are red flags, hang up the phone and call law enforcement.
Sgt. Rizzi explained that when a report is made with MPD, a patrol officer will take the initial information, which will be sent to the criminal investigations or detectives units. They will then work with the department’s federal partners.
“It can be difficult to track, but as long as we’re getting that information reported to us, we can work with our federal partners to attempt to do as much legwork and follow up as we can,” he said.
He said scams range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
“The police department will never call you and tell you – demand from you – we need you to pay us money because you have an arrest warrant, that’s not how it works,” he said.
If you are a victim and send money, Sgt. Rizzi advises you to notify your financial institution, law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission and monitor your credit.
You can make a report to MPD by calling (520) 382- 2000 or by going to the police department located at 11555 W Civic Center Drive.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
