Odessa, Texas Residents Being Targeted By Local Scammers

The Odessa, Texas police department is taking to social media in an attempt to inform the general public of a recent phone scam that has been going around the community.  Odessa police recently posted on Facebook warning residents of the scam in hopes to thwart scammers preventing them from extorting money from unsuspecting victims.

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The logistics of the scam vary, but generally, the scammers are calling Odessa residents posing as city officials or government officials. Citizens have reported that after convincing the victims that they are calling on behalf of the City of Odessa, they ask for some kind of payment or other means to extort personal information that can be used to steal your identity.

The Odessa police department reiterated that city officials or anyone affiliated with city government will never make an attempt to collect payment of any kind over the phone or try to sell you anything.  It is suggested if you receive such a phone call to hang up immediately.  It is also highly suggested to never divulge any personal information over the phone such as social security numbers, banking info, or any other personal information.