Date: Monday, April 25, 2022
The caller is telling residents that they have missed a federal court date and that they have to send money in the form of gift cards to the U.S. Treasury to avoid being arrested. The caller tells the resident that they must not report the call to anyone due to the federal “Gag Act,” which does not exist.
They are requesting people purchase gift cards and provide the caller with the verification numbers from the gift cards, then mail the gift cards and receipts to the U.S. Treasury Department. It is believed the Paducah Police Department’s telephone number is being “spoofed,” because residents have reported that the police department name shows up on their caller ID.
The calls are a scam.
No officer or civilian employee of the Paducah Police Department will call you regarding a warrant or pending arrest, nor will they require you to purchase gift cards to pay any type of bond. Should you receive such a call, hang up immediately. Do not purchase gift cards and do not provide any personal information such as Social Security number or bank information.