Dedham PD Warn About Phone Scams

DEDHAM, MA — Dedham police are warning residents about a scam claiming to be federal officials and soliciting money.

The warning comes after a resident reported the crime to Dedham police. The caller a U.S. Marshal working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration and tells the victim that their identity had been stolen and was being used to purchase properties out of state. The victim was told to withdraw a specific amount of money from their banking institution and send the money via Bitcoin ATM machines in order to resolve this matter.

In the latest incident, the victim was called through actual government and local phone numbers. When they called the Dedham police, the scammers called them back from the police department's phone number and threatened them with being arrested if they did not comply.

Dedham police are reminding residents of the following:

• Legitimate agencies will never require payment via Western Union, MoneyGram, Pre - Paid Credit Cards, Gift Cards, BitCoin, Wire Transfer or cash mailed via FedEx/UPS/USPS etc.
• If you suspect you may be the victim of a scam hang up the phone immediately and contact the Dedham Police Department.