Bridgewater Police Warn Residents of Arrest Warrant Scam Involving Person Impersonating Bridgewater Police Officer

BRIDGEWATER — Chief Christopher D. Delmonte and the Bridgewater Police Department are warning residents of an arrest warrant scam involving a person impersonating a Bridgewater Police officer.

A caller, claiming to be a Lieutenant or Detective recently contacted Bridgewater residents informing them they had warrants out for their arrest due to missing Federal Grand Jury. The caller alleged that if the resident didn’t pay a fine, Bridgewater Police would step in and make an arrest.

Some scammers can create a fake Caller ID, which allows them to call victims and make it appear as if they are calling from a local police, sheriff or other law enforcement agency. In this instance, the scammer was able to clone the Department’s business line number so that “Bridgewater Police” appeared on Caller ID.

The scammer instructed the victims to purchase multiple Green Dot MoneyPak cash cards as payment for the fine.  They were instructed to purchase the cards using cash only, and then read the card’s numbers over the phone giving them access to the money on the card. The scammer stated that failure to do so would result in arrest.

The Bridgewater Police Department will never contact a community member via phone requesting payment of any type to avoid arrest. Additionally, the Bridgewater Police Department will never call you demanding payment in any form, including gift cards.  We urge anyone who encounters this scam to hang up the phone and call the police department immediately.

To avoid becoming a victim of any scam, residents are encouraged to remember the following:

• Never wire money to people that you don’t know or haven’t met.
• Never wire money to pay for taxes or fees on lottery or prize winnings.
• Never purchase a pre-paid card at a store and give the number to someone over the phone who has called you requesting you do this.
• Never provide your banking information to people or businesses you don’t know.
• Never wire money in advance to obtain a loan or credit card.
• Never wire money for an emergency situation without verifying that it’s a real emergency.
• Never send funds from a check you received in the mail and deposited in your account until it officially clears—which can take weeks.
• Never wire a money transfer for online purchases.

If you receive a call from a scammer, hang up. Do not engage with these callers.

If you are ever unsure about a potential scam, contact the Bridgewater Police Department at 508-697-6118.

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