What happened
Fall River Reporter reported on 8 November 2026 that the Fall River Police Department in Massachusetts is warning residents about a scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers, federal investigators and bank fraud specialists. According to the department, the scammers tell people that their money is "bad," compromised, counterfeit or connected to criminal activity, and instruct them to withdraw cash from their bank accounts or gather money from their homes so it can supposedly be examined or secured as part of an investigation. They then arrange for someone posing as a law enforcement officer, investigator or courier to pick up the money. The police, federal agencies and banks named are impersonated and are not involved.
How the scam works
Police said the callers may use official-sounding titles, spoof legitimate telephone numbers and create urgency. Once the victim has withdrawn cash or gathered savings, a courier is sent to collect it, after which the money is gone. Calling the money "bad" or linked to a crime is designed to make people fear that keeping it will get them in trouble, so handing it over feels like cooperation with an investigation rather than a payment to a stranger.
Real police will never call to demand that people withdraw or surrender money, or send someone to collect savings for safekeeping. Legitimate investigations do not ask members of the public to move their own cash into the hands of a courier. Spoofed caller ID can make the call appear to come from a real police or bank number, so looking up the number on the screen is not enough.
Anyone who gets such a call is advised to hang up and not withdraw money, arrange a pickup or give financial information. If a courier is already on the way or money has been handed over, contact Fall River police and your bank immediately. People who have shared personal details should also watch their accounts and consider placing fraud alerts with credit bureaus.
Source
Fall River Reporter, 8 November 2026: https://fallriverreporter.com/fall-river-police-department-issues-warning-concerning-scam-thats-circulating/
