Scam callers pretending to be Radnor Township police officers have targeted several township residents, the department warned Monday, Sept. 28.

The callers claim to be Radnor police and pressure residents to hand over personal or financial information, according to Patch. The Radnor Township Police Department said the calls are not coming from its officers.

The department's advice: hang up.

Residents who are unsure whether a call is real should contact the Radnor Township Police Department directly using a verified number from the department's official website. Do not call back the number that appeared on caller ID.

That last point matters because scammers can "spoof" caller ID so the call appears to come from a legitimate police number, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned. Even if the caller uses a real officer's name or knows a resident's address, the FTC advises that it is still a scam.

The FTC notes that real law enforcement will never call to threaten arrest or demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app or wire transfer.

A pattern across Delaware County

The Radnor alert follows a similar wave of scam calls in neighboring Haverford Township over the summer. In July, at least two Haverford residents received calls from someone claiming to represent the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Delco Times reported. One woman in the 1600 block of Rose Glen Road sent $17,000 to a caller who told her a warrant had been issued for her arrest. Two days later, a woman in the 1700 block of Melrose Avenue received a similar call demanding $14,000 in cryptocurrency.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office warned residents in July that the office will never call demanding immediate payment.

How to protect yourself

The Radnor Township Police Department and federal agencies offer the same core guidance:

  • Hang up immediately if a caller claims to be law enforcement and demands money or personal information.
  • Do not call back the number on your caller ID. Look up the agency's number independently.
  • Never pay by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or payment app.
  • Report suspicious calls to local police and to the FTC through its fraud-reporting site.

The FBI's Philadelphia Field Office also accepts complaints through the Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3.

Residents can reach the Radnor Township Police Department through its contact page or by email at [email protected].