PBPD warns beware of scammers

The Poplar Bluff Police Department has received reports scammers are calling residents posing as the police department.

These suspects are sophisticated, and caller ID shows the calls are coming from a local Police Department with accurate call-back numbers, said Captain David Sutton of the Poplar Bluff Police Department

“The suspects instructed victims to put money onto a ‘Green Dot’ card and call them back with the card numbers,” Sutton said, emphasizing “these transactions are untraceable and cannot be reversed.”

The PBPD and “our municipal court will never ask anyone to provide payment over the phone,” Sutton stressed. “Requests or demands for payment by wire transfer, cash cards, or cash apps should be treated with suspicion. If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately and call your local law enforcement agency.”

Sutton said, “the Poplar Bluff Police Department asks for assistance from merchants in our community. Please post this press release prominently near your registers. If a customer tries to send large sums of money by wire transfer or cash card for single transfers or multiple smaller transfers please take a moment to warn them about possible scams or give them a copy of this notice. If a customer reports having been threatened by anyone claiming to represent a local, state or federal agency, please call your local law enforcement agency.”