Local police warning public about scam callers

MOSCOW — Local law enforcement is warning residents in Latah County about scam phone calls where the caller is impersonating a police officer or courthouse official.

In the past week, both the Latah County Sheriff’s Office and the Moscow Police Department reported an increasing number of incidents involving these calls.

Moscow police said on its Facebook page that the numbers these scammers use appear to be local. The scammer tries to convince the person there is a warrant out for their arrest and the only way to resolve it is by transferring money to the scammers through apps like Cashapp, Bitcoin or Venmo.

Police are reminding the public that law enforcement will never call people to ask for money for a warrant, or to purchase gift cards.

They advise people who receive these calls to hang up, contact their bank directly, block the number, stop answering calls from numbers they don’t recognize and call the police.

The Moscow Police Department’s number is (208) 882-2677. To contact a sheriff’s deputy, call (208) 882-2216.