Fraud Suspect Pretends To Be TCPD Sergeant

Someone is impersonating a Twin Cities Police sergeant in one of the latest phone scams.

TCPD Sergeant Michael Norton said the suspect is impersonating an active sergeant with the department and that the department's general phone number appeared on the victim's caller ID. Both the sergeant's name and the phone number were correct, but the victim felt there was something suspicious about the story.

A suspect, pretending to be from the FBI, called a local elderly woman and said she needed to pay $2,900 in insurance fees to cover $600,000 in winnings from the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. The suspect then said he would have an officer from the local police call her to confirm the story.

Suspicious of the story, she went to the TCPD to confirm the identity of the sergeant and discovered the fraud.

The TCPD is hoping any other residents who have been victims of similar fraud or who are aware of this fraud will step forward.

The press release in full is attached.