Countywide : CHP Warns of Telephone Scam Artists

As regular as the Christmas holiday, California Highway Patrol officers say, telephone scam artists are up to their old tricks in trying to solicit money by falsely representing themselves as police officers.

“It seems every year we’ve got these guys trying to extract money from people by claiming they’re from the CHP, and 99.9% of the time it’s total bunk,” CHP spokesman Bruce Lian said.

The CHP has gotten complaints from residents throughout Orange County, with a particular concentration in South County. With some small variations, the method rarely changes, Lian said.

“Recently, they’ve been asking people to pay $350 to take out an ad in Cops magazine or Sirens magazine,” he said. “It always winds up with them wanting to send a messenger (service) to pick up the check.”

Two doctors in Capistrano Beach were recently targeted, Lian said.

In the first case, the solicitor asked for the doctor by name. The physician wasn’t available, and the caller hung up when asked to leave a phone message.

The other doctor was contacted in person and asked to take out an advertisement in Cops magazine. After telling the doctor he would pick up the check in person, the solicitor called back later, saying he was stuck in traffic and asking that the money be left for a messenger service.

In both cases, the caller identified himself as a CHP officer, Lian said.

Anyone who feels they have received a fraudulent phone solicitation is asked to call the CHP’s San Juan Capistrano office at (714) 661-6215.