REPORT FROM GILBERT

Gilbert police are cautioning residents to be aware of a phone scammer who calls and identifies himself as a police officer. The man tells potential victims that they have outstanding arrest warrants, traffic fines or photo radar tickets, said Sgt. Jesse Sanger, a Gilbert Police spokesman. The scammer threatens victims with suspension of their driver's licenses if they do not pay the fines over the phone, Sanger said. The caller provides the victim's name and home address and instructs the victim to pay over the phone with a credit card or a Green Dot prepaid Visa or MasterCard, Sanger said.

Gilbert Police and Gilbert Municipal Court warn residents that they will never ask a person to submit payment over the phone. Sanger said that if the person behind the scam is caught and convicted, victims might receive restitution. However, Sanger said most phone scams originate from out of the country, making it difficult to catch and prosecute the culprit. Gilbert Police ask residents to report any scam calls that they might receive. If a resident questions the authenticity of a call, he or she is encouraged to call the Gilbert Police non-emergency phone number, 480-503-6500.

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