NEWS RELEASE
City of Carbondale, Illinois
December30, 2022
Police Impersonator Phone Scam
CARBONDALE – On 12/30/22 the Carbondale Police Department received a complaint from an individual about a police impersonator. According to the victim, they received a call that their caller ID feature indicated was one of the Carbondale Police Department’s listed numbers (618-457-3200). The caller purported to be a police officer and told the victim that they had a warrant. The victim said they would go to the Police Department and turn themselves in. The caller then told the victim not to do so and began to give instructions on how to pay over the phone. At that point, the victim recognized the call was a scam and hung up the phone.
There has been only one instance reported thus far. It is believed the caller “spoofed” the Carbondale Police Department’s number. The Police Department's number is still in operation and working normally for inbound calls. No Carbondale Police Officer will take bond money for a warrant over the phone or outside of the Police Department. If you get a call from someone purporting to be a law enforcement officer and they make suspicious requests it is recommended that you end and call the contact the number publicly listed for that agency to verify the identity of the caller.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab on this website’s main page. Please help yourself, along with your county, its communities, and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness or have any information about a crime. Cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!
The mission of the Carbondale Police Department is to work in partnership with our community to preserve life, protect human rights, protect property and improve quality of life by providing police service to all in a fair, sensitive, and professional manner.