Scammers are calling Davenport residents with phony claims of arrest warrants or overdue fines connected to red light camera tickets.
Some callers say there’s an arrest warrant out for non-payment of a speed camera ticket; other calls say payment is overdue on a red light camera ticket and needs to be made to avoid further prosecution.
The scam is similar to one also reported in Clinton County, where there are no such cameras in operation. In those cases, potential victims have reported being instructed to buy a Green Dot card, load money onto it and call back for further instructions. Some people have reported aggressive threats by the caller.
“These requests are not legitimate and do not originate from the Davenport Police Department,” said a statement from Davenport Police. “Automated Enforcement Violations issued by the Davenport Police Department are mailed to the registered owner of the violating vehicle.”
“Persons receiving such a telephone call should be aware that this is a scam and not provide the requested information over the phone. If a loss is incurred, individuals should call the Davenport Police Department non-emergency number 563-326-7979 to file a report,” the Davenport Police statement said.