DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - A warning from police in North Mississippi. They are not collecting cash, so don't get hustled. Crooks are making phone calls, pretending to be cops holding a fundraiser.
"I'm pretty generous," says Mississippi resident Victor Craft. "I've donated to stuff. I've done all kinds of stuff to help people in need, especially around Christmas time. Man, you've got to be leery though."
Right now, North Mississippians need to be leery of scammers.
"Some people can sell an ice cube to an eskimo," Craft laughs. "If I'm already cold, I'm not buying ice."
Craft's not surprised to hear Horn Lake police received complaints about cons lately. Someone called people impersonating a police officer, asking for holiday donations.
"I wouldn't deal with anybody over the telephone," says Lt. Scott Evans with the Horn Lake Police Department. "I just wouldn't. Phone scams. Craigslist scams. Internet scams. Those things are coming from all over the place."
Evans posted a warning about it on the department's Facebook page.
"We're trying to beat the beginning of the scamming season and get it out to warn people," he says. "We're hearing about it from other police agencies, and we're not the only ones."
Cops want to prevent anyone from becoming a victim of a crime that's incredibly hard to prosecute.
"In the law's eyes you freely gave them the info," says Evans. "You freely gave them the money. There's a lot to prove there that the scam took place. My advice? Just don't deal with the people. Say no thank you and hang up the phone."
Cops don't know how many people received the fake calls. They made a point of saying police will never solicit anything over the phone.
