03/24/2021
Be careful and double check.
Recently, throughout the state, many elderly citizens have fallen victim to the "grandparents" scam. HPPD is looking to educate its residents regarding this specific scam. Currently, criminals are contacting an older or elderly person, informing them that their grandchild was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident and is in police custody somewhere in the nation. They are informed to go to their bank and withdraw cash. They would then be instructed that a "courier" for a bail bonds company will be enroute to their home to retrieve the bail money. A courier service would then arrive, retrieve the money, provide a fake receipt or document of the transaction and leave.
We want our residents to know if there was an actual real incident of a family member in police custody and a bail amount needed to be posted, it would have to be in person at a police department. Also- if there was an incident where notification needed to be made to a family member about an arrest, Highland Park Police Officers would respond to the residence and make this notification in person.
If an incident like this happens to you or you feel uneasy about a situation you are in while on the phone with someone purporting to be a law enforcement officer, ask them for their name, what agency they work for, and a call back number. Please then call Highland Park Police Department asking for assistance.