09/22/2026
⚠️ SCAM ALERT – PHONE NUMBER SPOOFING ⚠️
The Barrington Police Department is warning residents of a recent phone scam in which scammers are spoofing legitimate phone numbers, making calls appear to be coming from trusted financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.
In the recently reported scam, the victim was contacted through a two-step process. The scammers first spoofed the phone number of the victim’s bank or credit card company. The victim was then contacted by someone falsely claiming to represent law enforcement, with the call appearing to come from the Barrington Police Department’s legitimate phone number.
The scammers attempted to convince the victim that their financial accounts had been compromised and that they needed to withdraw or turn over money.
Please remember:
• Caller ID can be manipulated. A familiar or legitimate phone number appearing on your Caller ID does not guarantee the call is actually coming from that organization.
• If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from your bank, credit card company, or law enforcement, hang up and independently call that organization using its publicly listed number or the number printed on the back of your card.
• Do not use a phone number provided by the caller.
• The Barrington Police Department will never call and demand that you withdraw or turn over money or make payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, money transfers, or payment apps.
• Never provide banking information, passwords, Social Security numbers, or other sensitive information to an unsolicited caller.
The phone-number spoofing involved in these incidents is one-way. If you independently dial the Barrington Police Department’s legitimate phone number, your call will reach our department. The same precaution should be taken with your bank or credit card company—hang up and call them directly to verify the legitimacy of the original call.
When in doubt, hang up and verify. Scammers often rely on urgency and fear to keep victims from taking the time to confirm who they are actually speaking with.
Please share this information with family, friends, and neighbors, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
