HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – The Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) has been made aware of a scam targeting residents of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County where individuals are impersonating HPD officers.

The scammers are calling unsuspecting victims and telling them they have missed jury duty or have other outstanding citations, and they must send money to HPD to avoid jail time.

When victims are calling the scammer back to find out more about their fines, a menu is read aloud that may give the impression they have reached our main phone line, but it is part of the scammers plan to steal money from community members concerned about their fines. The Harrisonburg Police Department will never ask community members for money in exchange for dropping charges, removing citations, or for missing jury duty.

No legitimate law enforcement agency will ever ask for gift cards or cryptocurrency in exchange for their service.

Oftentimes, scammers will use tactics like threats of jail time, fines, or criminal charges to scare victims into sending them money quickly.

If you receive a phone call from someone you do not know requesting money, pay attention to the warning signs of a potential scam:
• A sense of urgency to scare victims into sending money right away.
• A threat of criminal charges or legal action if money is not sent.
• Requests for gift cards or cryptocurrency as payment.
• Requests for sensitive information like passwords, account numbers, social security number, etc.

If you have received a similar phone call, do not call back and delete the voicemail. If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this scam, please call 540-434-4436 to make a report, or download tip411, an online platform for providing tips to HPD. The app is designed to assist residents in connecting with HPD, viewing community alerts, and submitting anonymous tips directly from their smartphones.

Those without a smartphone can still share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip. Simply text the keyword HPDVA and your message to 847411 (tip411).