The Sun Prairie Police Department on March 13 received information of several people being contacted by someone impersonating a Sun Prairie officer — for the second time in as many months — in order to carry out a phone scam to receive payment from the victim due to missing court.
“This is similar to a previous scam in February,” said Sun Prairie Police Lt. Ryan Cox, who said the caller is also spoofing the non-emergency phone number of 608-837-7336. Spoofing occurs when a scammer is able to show a number that the scammer is not calling from — many times to get the victim’s confidence.
“Please be aware this is a scam! The Sun Prairie Police Department will never contact you over the phone or via email to ask for monetary payments, especially in order to avoid charges or satisfy any legal proceeding,” Cox added.
Individuals who receive any phone calls that seem suspicious can always hang up and call the SPPD non-emergency number 608-837-7336 to verify that an officer is trying to reach them.
The incident follows another one on Feb. 10, when a person claiming to be a SPPD officer who scammed a Town of Bristol woman out of $3,500.
Dane County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Elise Schaffer said the Bristol woman was scammed out of $3,500 after being victimized by a telephone scammer claiming to be an officer.
Schaffer said the thief claimed the victim had been subpoenaed and she needed to pay him, or she would be charged with a crime. The woman initially paid the scammer over $7,000 through the two different money transfer apps. She discovered it was a scam after she called Sun Prairie Police, and she was able to cancel a portion of the payments.
“If you receive any phone calls that seem suspicious, you can always hang up and call the Sun Prairie Police Department non-emergency number 608-837-7336 to verify that an officer is trying to reach you,” reads a post on the SPPD’s Facebook page.
Schaffer
Schaffer said the Dane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fraud. She also advised that law enforcement officers will never request money over the telephone or by email.
“These scammers often sound very legitimate and can spoof telephone numbers of the actual law enforcement agency, making the vetting even more difficult,” Shaffer added. “If you receive a phone call like this one, hang up and report the call to local authorities.”
Cox said individuals contacted by scammers can call their local law enforcement agency’s non-emergency number, and that they do not have to call 911, which is answered by Dane County Dispatch.
Individuals with information about those posing as officers are asked to contact the SPPD Non-Emergency Line at 608-837-7336, or anonymously using the SPPD Tip Line at 608-837-6300.
Police investigating battery at Sun Prairie East
Cox said police are actively investigating a battery complaint between two students at Sun Prairie East High School, 888 Grove St.
Officers responded to the school at 11:31 a.m. on March 15 to investigate a report of one male hitting another one, with the investigation taking place after the incident occurred.
Madison man arrested for warrant
Sun Prairie police arrested a wanted male after police encountered him changing a tire on Highway 151.
Cox said an officer stopped on Highway 151 southbound at the West Main Street exit, identified the male as a wanted subject and placed him under arrest for an extraditable warrant from Illinois.
Upon completion of the investigation, Cameron Wood, 25, from Madison, was arrested and taken to jail on the body-only extraditable warrant.
Drug Take Back Day set for April 15
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that on Saturday April 15 it will coordinate a Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative throughout Wisconsin.
Unused prescription medications in homes create a public health and safety concern, because they can be accidentally ingested, stolen, misused, and abused.
Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. The Sun Prairie Police Department has a 24-hour Med Drop Box located in the Main Street foyer between City Hall and the Sun Prairie Police Department’s East Precinct at 300 E. Main St. The Med Drop box is available for the safe disposal of all types of drugs.
