In the wake of recent reported phone scams, Hollister Police are warning residents to never pay an alleged fine with gift cards or by wiring cash.
The Hollister Police Department has documented several reports of residents receiving telephone calls from people advising them they have a warrant for their arrest and they must pay a fine. The caller tells the resident they can pay the fine by purchasing gift cards, wiring cash or buying Google Play cards, according to a press release from the Hollister Police Department.
Once the gift cards are purchased, the caller asks for the PIN numbers from the cards in order to “clear” the warrant, police said. The caller ID from the suspects even reads as a phone number from the police department or the Social Security Administration.
“These callers are scamming residents and are not calling from the Hollister Police Department or the Social Security Administration,” reads the press release. “The Hollister Police Department would never call you and demand money.”
Anyone who receives a call of this nature, or who has sent money to a potential scammer, can report the fraud by calling Hollister PD at (831) 636-4331.
