Muskego police warn scams with callers impersonating police officers are on the rise

MUSKEGO, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Inside the Muskego police station, you’ll find numerous officers serving the department. What you won’t find is an officer by the name of Dave Brown.

He's the latest tactic used by scammers to get people to give out sensitive information or money over the phone. Callers are pretending to be employed by the department to get sensitive information from people.

“Little bit more elaborate as the years go by,” said Jeff Sartorius, the community resource officer with the Muskego Police Department. “The tactics change, but the premises are typically the same.”

Sartorius says people are receiving phone calls from “Officer Brown” about a warrant for their arrest, and he’s not the only one making these calls. Similar scam calls have been reported by the West Allis Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

There are some ways you can stay safe.

If you receive a phone call and you’re concerned about its legitimacy, Muskego police say just hang up and call them right back. If it’s a scam, the phone number should direct you to the Muskego Police Department’s non-emergency line.

“You’re gonna get one of our dispatchers because it's not going to go to that masked phone number,” said Sartorius.

Sartorius says never give out any sensitive or personal information over the phone unless you know who’s on the other end.

“Our perpetrators are probably going to be outside the country so we’re not going to be able to find them and prosecute, so it is frustrating from a time and effort standpoint,” said Sartorius.

Officers say trust your gut and if you’re ever in doubt, call the department’s non-emergency line.