New phone scam hits Fairbanks residents

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - A new phone scam has been reported by Fairbanks residents.

On its Facebook page, the Fairbanks Police Department (FPD) outlined the scam, in which the caller purports to be with the U.S. Marshals Office or other law enforcement agency in the Fairbanks area.

The person being scammed is told that they’ve missed grand jury duty or have a warrant out for their arrest. Personal information or payment is then requested to resolve the issue.

FPD Chief Ron Dupee explained that the scam calls are coming from Alaskan numbers, so people are more likely to answer their phones.

“Don’t give out any personal information - and if you have a question, contact the local authorities and we can provide better guidance to you. Also, we would ask that you contact your loved ones. Definitely the senior population is a big target for these types of scams, so if you have relatives that are older in age, please contact them. Advise them not to give out any personal information.”

Dupee said this type of scam has been seen before, and is nothing new.

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