Scams Reported In Springdale, Fayetteville

Northwest Arkansas residents should be careful of telephone scams.

Police departments from two cities sent out news releases Wednesday saying attempts have been made to scam residents over the phone.

Springdale police received a call from a woman who said a man called wanting money to pay for her use of the Springdale weather alert system, according to a news release. The man said he was with the city of Springdale and weather alerts were a paid service.

The man said she would need to give him financial information to continue to receive the alerts, according to the release. The woman hung up and called police.

The city’s notification system is free with the only possible cost a charge by a wireless phone provider for text messaging, according to the release. A city worker will never contact a resident and ask for financial information.

In Fayetteville, someone called a business and said their electric bill was delinquent, according to a news release. The caller asked the victim to go to a local business and purchase a MoneyPak, a prepaid payment card, for several hundred dollars to avoid shutting off the electricity.

“We’ve had four or five reports of similar incidents from local businesses,” said Sgt. Craig Stout, Fayetteville police public information officer.

People should not give out personal information over the phone or the Internet unless they initiate the contact, according to the release.

Victims or people with information about these scams should contact the Springdale police at 479-751-4542 or their tip line at 479-750-4484. In Fayetteville, people can call 479-587-3555.

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