Several residents visited the Hingham police station on December 26 after receiving phone calls from scammers impersonating the department. The callers falsely claimed to represent the police and demanded payments in Bitcoin.
"We would never call you to threaten arrest - we would just arrest you. We never accept any payment of any kind.,” the Hingham Police Department said in a social media post. “It’s an old scam with the caller ID spoofed."
Massachusetts law enforcement agencies have warned about this type of phone scam, which uses caller ID spoofing to mimic official police department numbers. The tactic is designed to create a false sense of urgency and legitimacy. The Hingham Police Department emphasized the importance of staying alert to these deceptive practices, which are part of a growing trend in phone-based fraud.
Caller ID spoofing is a technological trick that manipulates phone systems to display fraudulent information, making scams appear more convincing. Companies such as ID R&D and Red Box are developing advanced voice authentication solutions to counter these sophisticated schemes to detect fraudulent calls. Telecommunications providers worldwide, including Airtel, have also implemented alert systems to help identify suspicious calls.
The advice from local police: just hang up.