The Norman Police Department (NPD) is warning the community of an ongoing phone scam targeting parents.
The scam targets parents and guardians by claiming their child has been involved in an accident, such as a crash or assault, and has suffered a broken nose or other injury.
Police said the caller may try multiple tactics to convince parents and families to transfer funds, including:
- Claim the child needs money for medical treatment or bail.
- Put someone on the phone pretending to be the child. They may sound different and claim it is because of a nose injury.
- Explain that the call comes from an unfamiliar number because law enforcement has taken the child’s phone as part of an investigation.
- Demand immediate payment through gift cards, digital payment apps, wire transfers or other electronic transactions.
If you receive a call like this, NPD recommends hanging up and contacting your child and law enforcement directly. The department also recommends being cautious of urgent payment requests and never sending gift cards or sharing personal information over the phone…