Springfield, Ore. – The Springfield Police Department was alerted to another phone scam regarding subpoena service and potential criminal charges.
The most recent scam involved a subject representing themselves as a Sergeant with SPD and notified the victim that a subpoena was dropped off at a work address, and that they missed court. The suspect then gave her options on how to resolve the issue. The victim wisely identified the scam when the suspect asked her which agency was closest to her, which we would obviously know.
Subpoenas are served in person by an Officer not over the phone. In most cases, you will be aware of the criminal case they reference, and jury duty notices are delivered by mail, not phone. We NEVER request payment by phone regarding subpoenas or jury duty.
If you ever question the authenticity of a Springfield Police Officer calling you by phone, it is perfectly acceptable to request the Officer’s name, Badge Number and DPSST number (Department of Public Safety Standards and Training). If you suspect a scam, you can call the Department’s non-emergency number 541-726-3714 and provide the Officers information to confirm their employment and business purpose.
Other scams include-
Calls about failure to pay traffic or criminal tickets, and the need to pay them over the phone or face jail.
Calls saying a family member has been arrested and need to be bailed out. They will then ask for pre-loaded gift cards or credit card numbers etc. Before taking any action verify with us by calling the non-emergency number 541-726-3714.
(Information from SPD)
