On July 14, at approximately 4:45 PM, a Claremont resident received a call from a subject posing as a federal agent. The scammer told the victim that her Social Security number had been compromised. In order to clear the victim’s name, the suspect told the victim to withdraw money from her savings account, convert the money to Bitcoin and transfer the funds into another account.

The suspect told the victim that failing to cooperate would result in “Officer Vander Veen” issuing a warrant for her arrest. The last name of the Claremont Police Chief is Vander Veen. The victim complied with the suspect demands and transferred a large sum of money.

It’s not unusual for scammers to use names they find on local law enforcement websites to help facilitate their scams and make them sound more legitimate. The Claremont Police Department, Federal Agencies or County Agencies will not call and request that you transfer any of your funds to Bitcoin.

If you receive a call you feel is a scam, never provide your personal information, including your full name, social security number or bank account information. The scammers making these calls sound very convincing, so if you receive one, hang up the phone and contact your local law enforcement.