VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Millions of robocalls ring our landlines or smartphones everyday, but people on the other end of the call with say anything to deceive you. A fraudulent caller called Patricia Richard in Virginia Beach saying,
"This is an arrest warrant against you. Right now you and your physical property both are being monitored and it's very important that I do hear back as soon as possible."
It could be a frightening call for many, but for Richard it wasn't to be taken seriously.
"Oh I thought it was a hoot. Personally I thought it was a joke," she said.
Richard got the call Tuesday afternoon and hours later Richard received another voicemail that demanded her to return the call before proceeding with any legal matter.
"My direct call back number is 845-202-4892."
Immediately, Richard typed the number into Google and confirmed the call was a hoax. Richard shares her story in hopes to protect other people.
"They contact the number and they're threatened to sending and wiring money to whatever place," she added.
Virginia Beach Police tell News 3 they received up to 20 complaints a day from people who get fraudulent calls. The department even has a Facebook page that warns those of the type of deceptive practices out there.
How do you know you're being taken advantage of?
In Richard's case, police say they will never threaten an arrest warrant over the phone or make an arrest in exchange for payment. However, officers share their advice to everyone else.
"If you believe it to be suspicious listen to your gut. Your body will always tell you if something is wrong. Always get a second opinion," said the Virginia Beach Police department.
To avoid unwanted callers there are a few free applications below that can be downloaded on your smartphone to block deceptive callers:
RoboKiller - Block Spam Calls & Identity Callers
Nomorobo - Robocall Blocking
Call Blocker: Block Unwanted Calls & Spam Now
