The Cornelia Police Department posted a notice via Facebook on Thursday, Nov. 7, warning of possible scammers posing as police.
“The Cornelia Police Department has received several complaints that (Cornelia police) have tried to reach out to people on Facebook Messenger,” the post states. “We do not make contact with anyone on any social media outlet. Our messenger is set up for citizens to reach out to us and then we respond.”
The department goes on to say police “have taken several reports of citizens being called by the Cornelia Police Department requesting personal information.” Authorities say these calls often have the caller, posing as a member of the police department, telling a person they’ve been a victim of identity theft or other crimes before soliciting personal information to “complete a report.” In some cases, these scam callers use actual names of Cornelia Police Department employees and call from numbers that appear to match the department’s phone number.
The Cornelia Police Department will not call to ask for personal information or complete reports over the phone, according to the post.
Citizens with questions or concerns can call 706-778-4314 and ask to speak with Lt. Ryan Hunt.
