Beware of phone scams posing as Miami cops targeting South Florida residents.

MIAMI, Florida. With a disturbing event reported in South Florida, scammers have resorted to impersonating police officers over the phone to scam unsuspecting victims, especially in the Miami area.

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Over the past six months or a year, there has been an increase in the number of cases when these scammers took advantage of people’s trust in law enforcement agencies to swindle money from them.

Authorities have issued a stern warning to all South Florida residents to remain vigilant and inform their friends and family of the methods of these criminals. The scammers obtained the names of the police officers through social networks and other sources, using this information to gain the trust of their targets.

The Orange Park Police Department released a Facebook statement condemning the actions.

“To everyone who has friends and relatives in South Florida, please pass the floor. For the past 6 months or a year, people taking our officers’ last names from social media or elsewhere have been impersonating our officers (over the phone) in an attempt to swindle people out of money, especially in the Miami area,” a police spokesman said.

If residents receive such calls and question their legitimacy, they are advised to immediately hang up and verify the authenticity of the call themselves.

“Call the real company or agency (don’t call back the number they called you, type it into Google and look up the actual number),” the spokesperson added, urging residents to refrain from redialing the number they originally contacted as it could lead them back to the scammers.

It has been observed that these unscrupulous individuals often target older victims, who may be more susceptible to such scams due to their ignorance of modern communication technologies and tactics.

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