Highland Park Department of Safety (HPDPS) received two phone calls where the caller was attempting to reach a “Sgt. Richard Rash” with Highland Park Police Department. According to our callers, “Sgt. Richard Rash” left a voicemail message on their phone and referenced, “…important legal matters to discuss.” Since no telephone number was included in the voicemail, the callers reached out to us directly. HPDPS is advising the community to be mindful of this current phone scam.
In March of 2019, we issued a similar warning, one where the phone scam included: (1) claims of an urgent police matter that must be resolved today, (2) claims that the intended victim would be arrested immediately for nonpayment, and (3) the use of formal sounding jargon to sell the hoax. An additional component of this type of scam is the method of payment: the caller will demand payment from pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. These statements are red flags. Note - those who use this type of strategy to scam potential victims are extremely convincing.
Should you receive a phone call similar to any of the above scenarios, one where the caller claims to be with “Highland Park Police Department,” do not provide the caller with any personal information, and contact our non-emergency number, 214-521-5000.
Thank you,
Lt. Lance Koppa
Lkoppa@hpdps.org
214-559-9487