City warns of imposters posing as 911 dispatchers

GREENSBORO, NC — Usually people call 911, not the other way around.

So the City of Greensboro advises residents and business owners in the area to beware of calls from imposters who claim to represent 911 dispatchers, city police officers or county sheriff’s deputies. Anyone who makes such calls is violating the law and subject to arrest, the city said in a news release.

Guilford Metro 911 and the Greensboro Police Department have recently received several inquiries from people who received those calls.

The callers are asking questions about 911 calls the residents may or may not have made, or are asking questions not related to a law enforcement function, the city said. In some cases, the caller also asked questions about the person’s health, family or personal life.

Although there are occasions when a legitimate 911 dispatcher may call a Greensboro resident, the dispatcher will never ask questions unrelated to the resident’s reason for initiating the call. Any unsolicited call in which the caller asks for personal information should be considered suspicious.

Residents should not give any personal information if they receive a call from a person claiming to be with Metro 911, Greensboro police, or the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office and they have not called 911 for assistance.

Residents should instead ask for the caller’s name and number, then hang up and place a call to 911 to verify the call.

Anyone who has received such a call within the last week and has not reported it, is encouraged to call 911 to start an investigation.

Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and Guilford Metro 911 staff are investigating these incidents.

Read the story here.

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