Recently, a number of citizens have called to report that they have received scam phone calls where the caller ID reads 608-261-9694, the number for our Central District administrative office. The scammer pretends to be a police officer and demands some type of payment or financial information over the phone. In some cases reported to us, the scammer has been asking for family members of the victim. Several victims also reported that payment was being demanded for "back taxes," or something to that effect.
The Madison Police Department will never ask for payments or financial information over the phone. If you receive a call from this number, it is not the MPD. This is a scam in which the suspect has "spoofed" (meaning the caller has deliberately falsified their caller ID readout so they may hide their identity) our phone. Do not give out any personal or financial information over the phone. It is not necessary to call our Central District back in response to these scam calls. MPD will not try to contact you from that number for legitimate police business.
If you receive any scam phone calls of this nature, you can report them to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-2255-322) or online at www.fcc.gov/complaints.
Learn more about caller ID spoofing at http://www.fcc.gov/guides/caller-id-and-spoofing.