Community Advisory: Police Impersonation Scam

The Richland Township Police Department (RTPD) is issuing this community advisory to warn residents about fraudulent phone calls from individuals impersonating police officers or other government agency employees. This type of scam is occurring frequently across the United States.

How the Scam Works

Criminals may use “spoofing” technology to disguise phone numbers, email addresses, display names, text messages, or websites. This can make it appear as though the caller is contacting you from a local police department, sheriff’s office, bank, or another legitimate organization.

The goal is to gain your trust and obtain personal information, access to computer systems or financial accounts, or steal money. Many of these calls originate outside of the United States.

Warning Signs of a Scam

Be cautious if a caller:

• Creates a sense of urgency or threatens immediate consequences.
• Offers something that seems too good to be true.
• Requests an unconventional form of payment, such as gift cards, iTunes cards, Western Union, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
• Contacts you unexpectedly and demands payment or personal information.
• Asks you to keep the matter secret or tells you not to contact anyone else.
• Requests sensitive personal or financial information.

Recent Local Incident

Today, a local resident received a phone call from a scammer who spoke with a Spanish or Indian accent and identified themselves as a Richland Township Police Officer. The caller used the full name of an actual RTPD employee and spoofed an RTPD telephone number so that the caller ID displayed the department's telephone number.

Once scammers reach a potential victim, they may claim there is fraudulent activity involving an Amazon account or bank account, an issue with U.S. citizenship status, child support, an outstanding warrant, or unpaid fines.

Scammers are also known to falsely claim that a relative has been arrested or involved in a traffic accident and then demand bail money or another form of electronic payment.

Protect Yourself

If you are unsure about the validity of a call or the identity of someone claiming to be a member of the Richland Township Police Department, do not provide personal or financial information and do not send money.

Instead, independently contact the department to verify the call:

Richland Township Police Department: 814-266-8333
Cambria County 911 Non-Emergency Dispatch: 814-472-2100

The RTPD will not call residents to solicit donations or demand payment of unpaid fines, nor will officers request sensitive personal or financial information over the phone, including bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, routing numbers, or similar information.

When in doubt, hang up and independently contact the agency using a verified telephone number. Do not rely on the number provided by the caller.

Please share this advisory with family members, friends, and neighbors—especially those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.