The Orange Beach Police Department has issued a warning to the public regarding a recent scam involving phone calls from individuals pretending to be law enforcement. According to the department, scammers are falsely claiming to represent the Orange Beach Civil and Warrants Division.

Police Chief Brown emphasized that neither he nor any officer from the Orange Beach Police Department would contact individuals by phone about outstanding citations. The department stated that law enforcement agencies do not operate this way.

The scammers have been demanding payment of fines and threatening arrest if money is not provided. Authorities are urging residents not to give money over the phone, through PayPal, or by any wire transfer.

The Orange Beach Police Department has received numerous reports from residents about these suspicious calls. Officials want to make it clear that the callers are not associated with their department in any way.

If anyone receives such a call, they are encouraged to hang up immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The days of Spam and Scams are quite prevalent in our mobile devices and personal information being shared online. Here are some quick tips from the FCC to help prevent future fraud:

• The National Do Not Call Registry protects landline and wireless phone numbers. You can register your numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry at no cost by calling 1- 888-382-1222 (voice) or 1-866-290-4236 (TTY). You must call from the phone number you wish to register. You can also register at donotcall.gov.
• Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
• You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be aware: Caller ID showing a "local" number does not necessarily mean it is a local caller.
• If you answer the phone and the caller - or a recording - asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes."
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.