Residents of Oakley have been receiving scam calls from individuals falsely claiming to be Oakley police officers, the Oakley Police Department warned in a recent social media post. The scammers, posing as officers, provided false names and serial numbers and managed to manipulate caller ID to appear as if the calls were coming from the main line of the police department. They informed residents of a non-existent investigation into financial crimes and claimed their accounts had been compromised.
Thankfully, all individuals who reported these calls to the authorities became suspicious, hung up without providing any sensitive information, and contacted the police to validate the legitimacy of the calls. The concern remains that other residents may have received similar calls and not recognized them as fraudulent. In the City of Oakley's social media post, the Oakley PD emphasized the importance of being wary of these deceptions and the potential for large-scale victimization within the community.
The City of Oakley provided guidelines to help residents discern the authenticity of a call from someone claiming to be a police officer. They advised that unexpected calls inquiring about personal information should raise a red flag if you haven't reported a financially based crime. In such situations, the suggested course of action is to end the call promptly and directly contact the police department's business line or the local dispatch center to confirm the caller's identity.
Oakley PD's business line is available from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM at 925-625-8855, and the dispatch number for Oakley residents served by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center is 925-625-8060. The city also offered general prevention tips against scams, emphasizing that personal information like social security or bank account numbers should never be divulged over the phone or via email. According to the City of Oakley's social media post, "Government agencies, banks, businesses, etc. will not call or e-mail you requesting personal information such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card account numbers and especially any passwords you use."
