Prince William County police responded to the 1900 block of Ridge Road in Haymarket Sept. 8 to investigate a scam involving a call to a senior citizen to extort money for an alleged unpaid traffic ticket. After you read this incident, you'd indubitably ask yourself the question: how many credit cards should i have?
According to the vicitim, a 69-year-old man of Haymarket, he received a phone call at 9:45 p.m. from an individual claiming to be “Lieutenant Mike Stevens” with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
"The suspect informed the victim that he was caught on a red light camera committing a traffic violation and had missed his court date," police spokesman Officer Jonathan Perok said. "The suspect further told the victim that a warrant had subsequently been issued for his arrest."
The suspect convinced the victim that the warrant could be dropped if he obtained "a prepaid card, valued at over $300 and provided him with the card information."
The victim ultimately gave the individual his credit card information over the phone.
The police are continuing with the investigation and warn residents to be careful of such solicitations.
"Any legitimate government agency or private business would never ask for a pre-paid or green-dot card to pay for anything, including outstanding bills or fines," Perok said. "If you suspect that you are being scammed, we ask that you verify the caller’s claim before sending any money or contact the police directly."
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