Police captain has the perfect response to scam call claiming she's about to be arrested
When one unlucky North Carolina police captain picked up the phone to a scam caller who claimed she was about to get arrested, she decided to have a little fun – and use the opportunity as a teachable moment.
In the video shared on Facebook, Apex Police Captain Ann Stephens laughed to herself as she played games with a phone scam artist after receiving a call from a purported police detective trying to get her personal information.
During a chat with two men who identified themselves as 'John Black' and 'Jason Brown,' Stephens was told she was facing more than 25 criminal charges, ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering. Apex Police Department shared the footage to serve as a warning for the public to not give out address, social security, and other personal information to suspicious callers.
"These are scam calls," Stephens said in the video. "Don't ever give out your information. Don't ever verify their information even if they have it."
Rather than give out her details, she told viewers to “just hang up on ‘em or have a little fun,” and she chose the latter, doodling on a Post-It note throughout the scam call, which ended when one of the men abruptly hung up.
The police department’s Facebook post had more than 5,300 shares and 700 comments as of Thursday morning.
"A lot of people want to engage the scammer and keep them on the phone and have a little fun with them. But a lot of people don't have time or are just afraid to do it, so I think they got to live vicariously through us," Stephens told Durham ABC station WTVD.
"If somebody calls and says they're the Social Security Administration, hang up and call them back yourself. Call the number on the Social Security Administration website or IRS website and talk to them, but none of those agencies will ever ask for your information over the phone so that should be your first sign it's a scam," she said.
The main takeaway Apex police want residents to get from Stephens' experience? "SCAM CALLERS - DO NOT TELL THEM ANYTHING!!!"
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