The Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) alerted the Notre Dame community in an email Saturday to phone calls from scammers posing as law enforcement attempting to blackmail individuals for money.
The NDPD said its officers never ask individuals for payment or personal information over the phone.
The scammers’ call appears to come from the NDPD's main phone number or a general number. If the call is answered, the caller ”informs the person they are involved in an online drug crime; sometimes claiming there is a warrant for their arrest,” the email said. Students are then asked to send money in order to prove their innocence. Students at times received further calls from individuals claiming to be the chief of police or another law enforcement agency.
The scammer knows the name of the person being called. The email said that ”when challenged, the caller has become verbally abusive, vulgar and threatening.”
Attempting to call the number back may result in a charge from your phone service provider, NDPD said.
NDPD recommended students who receive scam phone calls verify any claims made by the scammer, never give out personal information and ”scrutinize any solicitation before making payments.” Students are encouraged to hang up immediately if they believe the phone call to come from a scammer.
To report additional information, contact the NDPD at (574)631-5555.
