Full Notification

The Wilmington Police Department has received a report of a phone scam in which the caller misrepresented themselves, invoking the name of a member of this department.
 
According to the report we have received, a caller misrepresented himself as a member of this department and claimed that the recipient of the call had an active arrest warrant – and that the individual would have to pay a fine to clear the warrant.

Similar to scams reported by partner agencies in the area, scammers will invoke the name of a police officer and will often allege that an individual – or a family member – has a pending charge or warrant, and then direct them to take some action, such as paying a fine using a payment card or gift card.
 
Please note:
• A police department will never contact a member of the public to solicit funds
• The only way to alleviate a warrant is to appear at the agency, or at the issuing court

The New Castle County Sheriff’s Office has previously issued guidance regarding phone scams of this sort, and their release includes helpful tips:  https://www.newcastlede.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19361/Public-Information-Message---Phone-Scams-7-12-17?bidId
 
If you have received a phone call like this, please contact the Wilmington Police Department at (302) 654-5151.

If you have received a call from someone claiming to be a member of our agency, you can also contact our department at (302) 654-5151 to verify the authenticity of the call.