Update: Scam Calls Continue From Spoofed Phone Numbers

Delawareans continue to get calls from people who falsely portrayed themselves as state troopers, demanding money for bail or telling them that they are wanted.
State Police are investigating multiple incidents in which the callers use spoofing technology to make it appear that the call comes from Delaware State Police – issued phone numbers. Some of recipients of these calls are listed on the Delaware sex offender registry.
State Police said troopers will never request payment for fines, traffic tickets or bail. All such transactions are conducted by the courts.
If you get such a call you are free to hang up, but you should not give up any personal information.

More tips were provided by Delaware State Police:

1. Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. If you do so by accident, hang up.
2. If a caller (live or recorded) suggests hitting a button to stop receiving calls from them, hang up. This can be a trick to engage you in conversation.
3. Never give out any sensitive data – for example, account numbers, Social Security Number, passwords or PINs, or your mother’s maiden name.
4. If a caller claims to be with a legitimate company, call back using the phone number on a statement you have from them, or on their verified, secure website.  This is particularly important if the caller asks you to verify personal information or make a payment.
5. If you are immediately pressured for information – be cautious. You are not obligated to answer any question asked of you.
6. Set your own password for your voicemail.  Some voicemail services are set up to automatically allow access to your mailbox if you call in from your own phone. If a scammer spoofs your number, they can access your voicemail if you have not set a password or PIN requirement in place.
7. Use a call blocking tool (talk to your phone company) or reputable app on your mobile device.  There are different options for different platforms. Do some research and choose the one that makes the most sense for you.