Lakeway police are alerting residents to be aware of a caller or callers impersonating a Lakeway police officer. The 'impersonator' claimed to be an officer of the Lakeway police department, using the official name of a recently retired officer, and threatening the Lakeway resident they reached out to with arrest if the individual did not comply with the imposters instructions. The phone number was not an official number with the Lakeway Police Department. When investigators tried to reach out to that number, the call went to voicemail and the recording indicated the individual was a member of the Lakeway Police Department and that they had called a 'confidential hardline.'
Lakeway police would never reach out and threaten arrest like this over the phone. The official phone line from the Lakeway Police Department is (512) 261-2800, and any number originating from the police department would start with '261.' If you receive a similar call, hang up and call the Lakeway Police Department directly at (512) 261-2800 to report the incident.
Imposter scams take place often throughout the country, where the imposter claims to be with an official organization. They typically request detailed personal information or money of some kind. The scammer can reach out through phone calls, texts or emails to try to convince you they are someone in authority. They could even use caller ID to make it look like they are calling from an official government number. The best plan of action if you get a similar call is just to hang up and call the agency back directly (found through Google or similar searches) to verify if the information is accurate, and to report the incident.
If you'd like to learn more about Imposter Scams, and what to watch out for, click the link below.
