Tacoma police help resident recover $25K taken in phone call scam
A phone call from a person who claimed to have an arrest warrant for a Tacoma resident convinced the woman to send $25,000 to an address on the East Coast, police said.
Thanks to Tacoma Police Department investigators, the woman has her money back.
The caller posed as law enforcement and told the woman the arrest warrant would be taken care of if she sent the cash, which was shipped overnight, according to a post from TPD’s Facebook page. Police warned residents to be wary of callers claiming to be from law enforcement or government agencies.
Police did not release information about when the scam occurred or how investigators were able to recover the cash. Department spokesperson Sgt. Wendy Haddow said the incident is still being investigated.
The department hasn’t seen a surge in phone call scams, Haddow said, but the incidents are a steady occurrence. Haddow said scammers call her, too.
“I get calls at work on my work phone like three times a month saying the IRS is going to come arrest me if I don’t send money,” Haddow said.
Police reminded residents that law enforcement and government officials don’t take cash to settle warrants or other debts over the phone.
Haddow said “sweepstakes scams” are more prevalent in Tacoma. She said callers will tell people they’ve won big money but have to pay the taxes first to receive the funds.
Phone scams often go unreported because victims might be embarrassed by being scammed or believe sending the money took care of whatever the scammer was calling about, Haddow said.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
