The Pennsylvania State Police is alerting the public of several imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be court officers, state troopers, or other law enforcement officials.

The State Police is urging people to report the calls to their local law enforcement agency. Individuals are receiving an increased number of these types of scam calls. During the most recent calls, scammers have attempted to collect a fine in lieu of arrest due to a claim of contempt of court, failing to report for jury duty, or other civil process issues.

Scammers tell victims they can avoid arrest by making an immediate payment. Often that means purchasing gift cards and providing the scammer with the gift card numbers, wiring money directly to the caller, or making a cryptocurrency transaction. Scammers will use many tactics to sound and appear credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials, and courthouse addresses. They also spoof government phone numbers to appear on caller IDs as if they are calling from a government agency or the court.

The scammer typically provides identity confirming information to the victim by reading residential addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information that seems to make their claims sound legitimate. The scammer then provides a fake case/ incident number, docket number, or warrant number to legitimize the reported offense.

The Pennsylvania State Police would like to remind the public that the State Police and/or other government agencies will never ask you for credit, debit, or gift card numbers, bank routing numbers, or to make a wire transfer or cryptocurrency transaction. You should never divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers.

If residents suspect a scam, do not give out any personal information, hang up immediately, and contact your local law enforcement agency. The State Police encourages individuals to look out for their elderly family members due to scammers targeting them.