Scammers Use Local Numbers to Reach Victims

Gift cards and reload cards are now the number one reported method of payment for imposter scams

FARGO, N.D. — A woman receives a call from the Fargo Police Department’s phone number asking her to pay for fines with gift cards.

But police say it’s a scam.

Scammers using spoof devices to call victims from a local phone number demanding payment is becoming more common.

According to the FTC, gift cards and reload cards are now the number one reported method of payment for these types of scams.

Police say if you think the caller is scamming you, the best thing to do is hang up and ignore their future calls.

“If someone were to drive to the police station while on the phone with a scammer, there’s not much we can do. Often times, these scammers are not in the area. They’re overseas, they’re in some sort of other part of the country hoping to victimize you,” said Fargo Police Public Information Officer Jessica Schindeldecker.

The Better Business Bureau says gift cards are appealing to scammers because they act like cash, making transactions using them difficult to reverse.