BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Police say they received a complaint about a caller stating they were with the Brattleboro “Village” Police Department and then saying that there was a warrant out for the arrest of the person who had picked up the call.
According to a news release, the caller ID number received by the complainant was one of the actual lines used by the Brattleboro Police Department (802-257-7946).
Police said the caller provided a fictitious case number to the complainant and directed the person to contact a law firm at a number provided by the caller. This law firm would then assist them with clearing the warrant, most likely by making a monetary arrangement with the fictitious law firm.
Police asked anyone contacted in this manner to call the department to verify any information regarding arrest warrants, and emphasized that Brattleboro Police doesn't contact anyone in this manner to resolve warrants and doesn't provide case information over the phone.
Also, the department said it doesn't direct anyone to contact a law firm to resolve warrants by phone, and advised residents to not provide any personal information or conduct monetary legal transactions by telephone.