A person who's posing as a police officer in New London is making residents believe they owe money after not showing up for a court appearance, according to officials.
Police said this is a scam in which an individual is telling residents they need to pay a large sum of money to avoid jail time.
The scammer is telling people they can pay the fine without having to show up in court.
An East Lyme resident told police they were persuaded into buying multiple prepaid cards from local stores in town, then providing the scratch-off card numbers on the back.
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Police said these scammers are calling from numbers that look like legitimate police department phone numbers on your caller ID. Anyone who receives this type of call is advised to immediately hang up.
"If you are unsure about the number that called you identifying themselves as a particular police department, you can find that department's phone number online usually on the town designated website or you can always call us at 860-739-5900 if you believe someone is trying to scam you," the police department said on Facebook.
Most of these scams involve mention of legal troubles for failing to comply with their demands, according to police.
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"It is unfortunate but most of these calls are directed at the elderly populous and make mention of grandchildren in trouble," police said.
