Scammers are using the Wiscasset Police Department number to trick people into picking up their phones, Wiscasset Police Chief Jeffrey Lange said. Several selectmen received robocalls from the department’s number and questioned Lange about them during their Tuesday, Aug. 1 meeting.
The number for the police department appeared on the caller ID; however, when they picked up the phone, it was a robocall attempting to sell a vacation package, Selectman Ben Rines said.
“It’s a scam,” Lange said. “They want you to say yes, so they can record your name and voice.” The calls are computer-generated with the police department number programmed in.
The scammers are smart, Lange said, and know there is a better chance people will pick up their phone if it is a local number people recognize.
The police department has just purchased information on identity theft, which it plans to put to use to help protect vulnerable people from falling victim to similar scams, Lange said.
“Just hang up. That’s the best advice,” Lange said.
