Scammer poses as police to get money

Actual cops warn of dating app hoax

A scammer allegedly used a dating app to impersonate an Allegheny County police officer and extort a local resident, using alleged underage nudes as a threat, the county warned Friday.

The unidentified victim, whose address is unknown, was using the Hily dating app and met a person he thought was a female between the ages of 16 and 18. During a text message conversation, the supposed female sent him unsolicited naked photos, according to county police.

The man deleted the messages and photos, but shortly thereafter, he received a phone call from a man who claimed he was an Allegheny County police officer who was investigating the man for possession of nude photos of an underage girl.

The impersonator told the victim that he could pay a “waiver fee” to the girl’s father to avoid prosecution. A man with a Georgia area code then called the victim; claimed to be Michael Dunbar, the girl’s father; and demanded $1,250 via Cash App and “money cards,” which Allegheny County police said are “untraceable.”

The victim contacted county police Thursday after realizing the situation was a scam.

“The Allegheny County Police will never, under any circumstances, request monetary payments from suspected criminals to avoid criminal prosecution or further investigation,” the agency said Friday in a news release.

The victim’s age and whether he actually paid the money are unclear.

Allegheny County police could not be reached for further comment.