Allegheny County police are warning people of a scam that involved a person who impersonated a police officer to extort money from a resident.
Police said the victim was using Hily, a dating app, and met someone he believed to be a girl between the age of 16 and 18. The two exchanged phone numbers, and they began a text message conversation.
“During that text conversation, he received unsolicited naked pictures from the female who confirmed she was under the age of 18. The victim deleted the text conversation and pictures,” police said.
Following the text message conversation, the victim received a phone call from a man who identified himself as a police officer with the Allegheny County Police Department.
Police said the impersonator told the victim he was being investigated for communicating with an underage girl and having nude pictures of her. The impersonator then told the victim he could avoid prosecution if he paid a “waiver fee.”
“The victim agreed, and the impersonator told him he would have the father call him,” police said.
He then received a call from a man with a Georgia area code, who identified himself as Michael Dunbar, the father of the girl. The $1,250 “fee” was to be paid via Cash app.
The victim then realized he might have been scammed so he called the Allegheny County Police Department.
“The Allegheny County police will never, under any circumstances, request monetary payments from suspected criminals to avoid criminal prosecution or further investigation,” police said in an announcement.
Police believe the perpetrators of the scam created fake profiles of young women on dating apps to lure unsuspecting men into communications.
Those who have been contacted or solicited with the scam or any similar scam involving the identity of a police department is encouraged to call the police’s tip line at 1-833-255-8477.
