Officer Kristi Mitchell

Public Information Officer

903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)

903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)

Texarkana Arkansas Police Badge

Re: Telephone Scams

Each year, the holiday season brings out a desire in everyone to give to those in our community who need help. The Texarkana Arkansas Police Dept. would like to inform the citizens of the community to keep in mind that this is the time of year in which scam artists are often at their busiest. Telephone scams are often a quick way for a criminal to take a persons financial identity and get into their pocketbook.

One common telephone scam is charity donation. A criminal will ask for a monetary donation to help out a local charity. We recommend that before any type of donation is made, the donor check out the charity soliciting the funds beforehand and satisfy themselves on the authenticity of the charity and what the funds will be used for. This can be done by calling the charity organization itself and inquiring as to whether they are taking donations by phone.

Another frequently used scam method is a criminal calling and advising they are representing the “Bank Security Division” or some other financial institution. They will then ask for your check routing number to ensure that your checking account is secure, or to ensure that you are the authorized account holder. If you receive any phone solicitations that you find suspicious please ask them to send you the information in the mail and try to obtain a call-back number for the organization, or an address. If the caller is persistent or refuses to give you any information, hang up.

The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department wants everyone to have a safe and enjoyable holiday season this year, and stands ready to assist anyone who calls upon us.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.