Whitefish Police alert public to phone scam

The Whitefish Police Department wants to alert police to a phone scam is being perpetrated in the Flathead Valley.

According to Chief Bill Dial, the way the scam works is a person will call someone on the phone and state there is a warrant for their arrest for not following a court order or that there is an arrest warrant.

The phone numbers used by the “Spoofers” will show on your caller ID as a law enforcement agency phone number.

The caller accomplishes that by entering the public phone number of a police or sheriff’s department in a computer and utilizing the computer to make the call.

When the call is answered, the caller will identify themselves as a police officer and in some instances state they are the chief of police or sheriff.

After a conversation in which they tell the person they are going to be arrested, they will follow it up with a statement indicating the person can post bond or “take care of it” by giving them a credit card number or a bank account number.

Authorities want people who receive these types of calls to not give out any information, hang up and report it to your local police or sheriff.