Scam Artists Impersonating Police Officers in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara police are reporting an uptick of scam artists impersonating police officers, threatening to arrest their targets if they don’t immediately pay off alleged arrest warrants. Some of the scam artists have used the names of actual police officers.

“In the first place, we don’t ever ask for money,” said Sergeant Antonio Montojo, head of the department’s property crimes unit. “And in the second place, we never — and I mean never — accept payment with a gift card.”

Montojo said people who receive such calls, texts, or emails should not make any payments. Law enforcement officers, he stressed, are prohibited from collecting money for obvious reasons. Be especially vigilant if unconventional payment plans are suggested; wire transfers, for example, are all but impossible to trace.

If the caller deploys high pressure tactics or makes direct threats, he said, check with law enforcement, and never provide the callers with any personal information.