Schertz Police Department officials say that in addition to posing as police officers, scammers also engage in phone spoofing to manipulate caller ID to make it look like the police are calling you.

Phone spoofing is a technique in which scammers manipulate the caller ID information displayed on a recipient’s phone. This allows them to make it appear as if the call is coming from a trusted source, such as a local number, government agency, or well-known company, when in fact the call is from the scammer.

In this Texas case, the scammers posed as police officers, FBI agents and even border patrol agents, according to MYSA.

The purpose of spoofing is to trick the recipient into answering the call and potentially becoming a victim of the scam. Fake calls can be used for various fraudulent activities, such as phishing personal information, conducting fake debt collections, or even impersonating law enforcement to extort money from victims. Because the caller ID information is fake, it can be difficult to determine the origin of the call, making it difficult to catch the scammers.

According to a press release from Schertz Police Chief Jim Lowery, an easy way to protect yourself from this scam is to “just hang up.”

Don’t be intimidated into disclosing personal or financial information.

Remember that the police will not ask you for personal information over the phone. If you think you have become a victim of such a scam, notify your bank immediately!