LaSalle police are warning residents about a phone scam that is invoking the service to get people's guard down.
Police say a phone scammer had been cloning the service's legitimate phone number, and calling people claiming to be from LaSalle police.
It's called "spoofing". It is described by the FBI as "when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL, often just by changing one letter, symbol, or number, to convince you that you are interacting with a trusted source."
"Reported information so far is that the callers know your first and last name and will provide a fictitious badge number and report/occurrence number," said Constable Alaina Atkins. "Please be aware that this is a scam and that the LaSalle Police Service would not convey identity theft in this manner."
If you get a call, police say you should not say anything and hang up the phone.
Atkins added on Friday afternoon that the reported reasons the scammer provides to the victim now include identity theft, that their phone number is tied to criminal activity in China, or that their phone number was used to register a purchase.
The caller is also armed with some snippet of personal information to gain the victim's trust, such as their first and last name, address, email address, and the names of any relatives.
"The callers are female or male with various accents and are attempting to obtain personal information from you," said Atkins. "If personal information is disclosed, contact your local police service and bank to notify them of the incident."
Anyone who may have become a victim should call LaSalle police immediately at (519) 969-5210.