Burbank police warn of scam calls spoofing police numbers and demanding gift-card payments

What happened

The Burbank Leader reported on 7 November 2026 that the Burbank Police Department in California said on 2 November it has received reports of scam calls to residents that make it appear the calls are coming from official police phone numbers, including the non-emergency line. The police numbers shown on caller ID are spoofed. The department is impersonated and is not involved in the calls.

How the scam works

According to police, the callers tell people there is an outstanding warrant for their arrest or that they face criminal charges, and demand immediate payment through gift cards, money orders or other methods to avoid arrest. The threat of arrest is meant to create panic, and seeing the department's real non-emergency number on the screen makes it seem that the call really comes from police.

Fraudsters running warrant scams often keep the victim on the phone, tell them not to discuss the matter with anyone, and give step-by-step instructions to buy gift cards at local stores and read out the codes. Gift card and money order payments are hard to trace and nearly impossible to reverse, which is why scammers prefer them. Real police departments do not resolve warrants or criminal charges by taking payments over the phone, and they do not accept gift cards.

Police advised anyone unsure whether a call is legitimate to contact the department directly using one of its published phone numbers. Residents who receive such calls should hang up rather than argue or provide information. Anyone who has already bought gift cards and shared the codes should contact the card issuer immediately, as funds can sometimes be frozen if reported quickly, and report the call to Burbank police.

Source

Burbank Leader report, 7 November 2026: https://outlooknewspapers.com/burbankleader/burbank-police-warn-of-scam-callers/article_c5683514-e7dc-40e8-b3c0-0b267dacd264.html