Burnet police warn against phone con artists 
BURNET — A phone scam in which the caller claims to be a peace officer asking residents for personal financial information has prompted real officers to sound an alarm.
"Burnet police want to assure citizens no police department or jail of any county will make this type of a call," Police Chief Paul Nelson said. "No one should ever send money or give credit card information over the phone to someone they do not know, especially in the middle of the night."
Here is how the scam works:
• A resident receives a phone call — usually late at night or early in the morning — from a caller who claims to be a police officer.
• The caller tells the resident he or she needs to help a friend who has been arrested, usually with money for bail or for car repairs.
• The resident is asked to give the caller a credit card number or other personal information to take care of the friend.
Such calls should immediately raise suspicions, Nelson said.
Anyone who receives a phone call from a person claiming he or she is a law enforcement officer should ask for the officer's full name and badge number, as well as the phone number to their office or dispatcher.
"If the caller is a police officer, then the officer will have no problem giving that information," Nelson said. "If the caller is attempting to perpetrate a scam on the citizen, and the citizen starts to ask these questions, the scam artist will likely hang up."
Residents can report suspicious activity to police at (512) 756-8080 or dial 911 for an emergency, Nelson said.
Residents can report telephone scams to any local law enforcement agency, the chief added.
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