Be careful of calls seeking money for law enforcement, other scams
Proceed with caution when receiving phone calls from supposed police agencies or organizations seeking donations to “support law enforcement,” warns the Marble Falls Police Department.
“Always be super careful when giving out identifying information or credit card information over the phone to anybody,” MFPD Central Investigations Division Capt. Jimmy Cole told DailyTrib.com. “I would stay away from any phone calls that are soliciting money.”
The department advises residents to gain as much information as possible on unknown callers to counteract potential grifting.
“If you take the (phone) number down, you can always call them back,” Cole said. “You can also find out what organization they’re with and call the home company, if they even exist, or Google them to see if they’re legit.”
Individuals without much computer knowledge are often top targets for scammers, Cole said.
“Technology is something that I even struggle with,” he said. “Most people have good hearts, but you may have someone trying to take advantage of you. That’s what you want to avoid.”
The police captain also noted how sophisticated some of these schemes can be.
“Scammers can be very in depth,” Cole said. “The more in depth the scammers get, the more developed the story, the harder it gets to determine what’s real and what’s not.”
Residents wanting to donate to law enforcement should seek bona fide organizations such as local police officer associations and the Hill Country 100 Club, a nonprofit that serves first responders in Burnet, Llano, and Blanco counties, Cole said.
He also offered a surefire way to directly help the Marble Falls Police Department.
“The easiest way to make a donation to us is to call the police department and tell us that you want to donate,” Cole said. “You’ll probably get a meeting with the chief and move on from there.”
Those donations go a long way, he said.
“We get cookies and gifts up here all the time, and they get gobbled up in a heartbeat,” Cole said. “People are so nice. It shows appreciation and lets us know that we’re doing the right things.”
Call the Marble Falls Police Department’s non-emergency line at 830-693-3611 for more details on how to donate.