Highland Park police issue warning about phone scam

Police in Highland Park are warning people not to fall for what appears to be a phone scam.

A resident recently called the Highland Park Police Department attempting to reach “Sgt. Richard Rush.” The department doesn’t have an officer by that name.

The resident said someone claiming to Sgt. Rush had left two messages on his voicemail. The caller referenced “important legal matters to discuss.”

Since the caller didn’t leave a return number, the resident called HPPD directly.

Last year, Highland Park police issued a warning about a similar scam where someone claiming to be a police officer was calling people about an urgent police matter.

The caller would instruct the victim to pay an amount using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer or risk being arrested for nonpayment.

Police said those should be immediate red flags.

Although the caller may have claimed to be from HPPD and used a lot of police jargon, the department would never ask for payment over the phone, police said.

Residents should not give out any personal information and call the department’s non-emergency line at 214-521-5000 if they receive a similar phone call.