KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department is warning people about a phone scam that uses the identity of KPD personnel to trick victims into sending scammers money.
They said that a resident in Oak Ridge received a message with a phone number to contact a specific KPD Lieutenant. After calling the number, the person who answered the phone identified himself as the Lieutenant and as a member of the Special Crimes Unit.
The scammer told the victim that the unit received a complaint that they had solicited a minor on Bumble, a dating app. They then said the person should speak with the family of the minor.
Later, the victim received a call from an individual claiming to be the father of the minor. That person then demanded the victim pay money or face prosecution.
Officials with KPD said that police would never handle a criminal complaint in this way and said that scammers usually give names of officers, badge numbers and spoofed phone numbers to appear credible.
They are reminding people that they should never share personal or financial information with unknown callers and that they can authenticate calls by hanging up and calling the alleged source of the call.
People who receive scam calls should report them to police, local FBI field offices or the Federal Trade Commission. They can be reported to KPD by calling (865) 215-7212.
