Police warning of scam mimicking law enforcement

Lorain police are warning the public of a scam where someone is using the police department’s telephone number to solicit private information from people.

On April 22, a woman contacted Lorain police to report she’d received a phone call from a man who identified himself as James from the Lorain Police Department, according to a police report.

The woman talked to the man for 40 minutes, and during that time, he asked her for personal information such as the status of her life insurance, home ownership and 401K assets, the report stated.

While the woman told the officer she was reluctant to release the information to the caller, she gave him her Social Security number, birthdate and other information, the report stated.

The man told her that he had knowledge of the make and model of her vehicle in addition to the financial institutions she uses.

The telephone number that was used to call the woman was 440-204-2100, which is the telephone number for the Lorain Police Department.

Meanwhile, the Police Department’s outgoing calls are received as “No Caller ID” and any outgoing calls from the dispatch center are from an Elyria telephone number, which also is different than the Lorain police non-emergency telephone number, the report stated.

The woman was advised to contact the Social Security Administration regarding her Social Security number possibly being compromised, the report stated.

“Please understand that no one from the Lorain Police Department will ask you for your financial information over the phone,” stated a news release issued by the Lorain Police Department in regards to the incident. “This is a major red flag.

“Scammers are constantly adapting their practices to mimic law enforcement and other government officials in an attempt to trick you into giving them your sensitive information.”

If citizens are suspicious about a caller, the Police Department encourages them to speak with an officer in person either at their residence or at the police station, the release stated.

“Furthermore, legitimate law enforcement personnel will always understand if you wish to end the call and contact us to verify our identity,” the release noted.