On January 19, 2024, the Gilroy Police Department received a report from a resident who had been contacted by an individual falsely claiming to be a Gilroy Police Officer. Upon returning the call, the resident was informed by this subject they had missed a court date, and when the citizen attempted to clarify the issue, the subject disconnected the call. Gilroy Police Department nor the named officer had made any attempt to contact the citizen.
Although no solicitation for money occurred, there have been incidents nationwide where individuals fraudulently impersonate police officers over the phone with the aim of extorting money from unsuspecting victims. The money demanded can be in the form of prepaid gift cards or money wire transfers through private money transfer companies.
The Gilroy Police Department would like to remind everyone to be aware of these types of scams and to be suspicious of any telephone calls where the caller imposes a problem or crisis and the only solution is to immediately send money. The fictitious problem or crisis can include the one like today’s, a missed court date, or other similar issues such as, identity theft, an arrest warrant, an immigration issue, delinquent taxes, a relative in jail, or a kidnapped relative.
As a reminder, genuine governmental agencies never accept payments by prepaid gift cards or through private money transfer companies.
If an individual calls you identifying themselves as a law enforcement officer or a representative of a law enforcement agency and you believe the phone call is suspicious in nature, you are encouraged to contact the law enforcement agency in question to verify the caller’s identity.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, you are encouraged to call Detective Jason Greathead at 408-846-0373 or email at [email protected] or the Gilroy Police Department at (408) 846-0350.
