Scam alert: Callers are claiming to be the Oregon State Police
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State Police are warning about a telephone scam that uses their name.
Police say they've received several recent complaints from citizens who say individuals claiming to be state troopers have called them and demanded money to clear arrest warrants or get criminal charges dropped.
Lt. Mark Cotter said Friday that in two similar cases, male callers with foreign accents called Oregon residents. Caller ID showed the calls as originating from 911 and the callers identified themselves as members of the Oregon State Police.
Cotter says Oregon State Police don't demand money from citizens under any circumstances. He says the calls resemble similar scams reported across the country.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Echoes of PT Barnum come to mind. A fool and their money, as it were.Â
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Here's a few reality checks (that you may or may not be able to cash).
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1) State Police (ANY police calls for that matter) don't come from '911'
2) A law enforcement officer will NEVER request money from you.
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I must admit, from time to time I am just dumbfounded by how stupid people can be with regards to internet/phone scams.Â
If you want to give to your local police or fire departments charity funds, call their business number and ask for a number or address were you can donate. giving a donation thru a  phone mill might never reach your own local police or fire organizations but benefit someplace like new york or even Nigeria.Â
When the police state calls, only terrorism can follow.
HELLO, caller ID is a waste of money. you can buy spoofing equipment to make the display on your devise say anything you want it too. most the phone mills block their numbers. have caller id taken off your bill and save that money. soon the phone company will give it away for free.
More and more of the scammers daily it seems. Hopefully no one will be silly enough to fall for this crap. For ones like this, I would just hang up the phone. I have had telemarketer tell me they are collecting money for a police fund etc. Not going to give them a single cent.
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HEY! Person reading this post! Yeah YOU! I am Sgt. Jose Ngyuan from the Oregon State Police. We have a warrant for your arrest and unless you post your name, address, credit card number and Social security number and your mother's maiden name RIGHT NOW in a reply post, we will come to your house and arrest you! Â
 @Kennyboy Ok....I don't want to be arrested. Stand by.....
Now Spoofing 911 IS Illegal, I personally thing that spoofing any number is illegal and should be stopped. Jsut like the damn robo call I got with some idiot all up in arms and dissing people on social security welfare system stating that People on Welfare got there way and there collecting signatures, but for it to count, you have to pay..screw that.. that kind of thing needs to be illegal as well..Spoofing from a disconnected number.
 @lee986321 don't pay the phone company for caller id and you can't get spoofed by the caller or the phone company.
I'll just laugh at them.. We don't have any to begin with! Â
 @Khre'Riov Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu ~  Yeah, good luck with that at my house, too..!  :-)
Actually, I don't even answer my phone unless the name or number on caller ID is one I recognize. Â If it isn't, I just let the call go to my voice-mail; 99.9% of those calls just hang up; don't leave any messages... Â
I can hardly believe that people would actually fall for something like this, but I guess the fact that there are still these kinds of scams going on, means that there must be some... sad...Â
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 @margay1 Yeah! I do the same thing most of the time, though sometimes I mess with the idiots.. Â
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We had a live survey call last week and the first thing out of their mouth was they where legal.. Laughed and hung up, reported their number..
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One my son told the guy to stop calling, and the guy told my son to F off.. That one I reported also, though I didn't mention he was 30 years old.
I guess people who have warrants out for their arrest would more than likely fall for this. Being someone that doesn't have any warrants out for my arrest I will just have a good time with those people.
Only a Judge can dismiss warrants and criminal charges.
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The local Gendarme does not demand, or accept money. It's called bribery and a line officer can't do squat beyond his own ticket book and that must be before he puts pen to paper. Fat chance of that!Â
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I have received warnings before. My favorite is a burnt out licence plate light when the officer was looking for a no seatbelt violation. The light was burnt out, but I have religion about wearing a seat belt. The dead bulb was replaced in less than 24 hours...
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People are stupid... seriously. Whats even sadder is there are people out there that might fall for this scam.