Beware of Law Enforcement Impersonation Scams Targeting Counselors

I had a close call with a very sophisticated scam that could have cost me not just money but also my peace of mind. I’m sharing this experience to help other counselors, therapists, and behavioral health professionals avoid falling into the same trap.

It was a typical busy day in my practice when I received a call on my mobile phone. The caller ID displayed “National City Police,” which immediately caught my attention. Like most people, I tend to let unknown calls go to voicemail unless it seems important. Seeing the word "Police" made me pick up.

On the other end was a very articulate male voice, confident and authoritative, without any noticeable accent. He introduced himself as an officer from the National City Police Department, the same city displayed on the caller ID. He proceeded to inform me that I had been subpoenaed to testify as an expert witness in a court case but failed to appear. According to him, the judge was furious and had issued a bench warrant for my arrest.

He had all the details to back up his story—court name, judge's name, case name, and even the dates and names of officers who allegedly tried to serve me at an old address of mine. Since I had done expert witness testimony in the past and had a very busy practice, it didn’t seem entirely impossible that I could have missed something.

What followed was a clever and terrifying conversation. He explained that because of the good work I do as a counselor and my standing as a good citizen, he wanted to help me avoid the embarrassment and hassle of being arrested. He suggested I could pay my bail over the phone and simply appear at the next court hearing, where the judge would clear the warrant.

The amount? $2,800. He explained that I could pay it electronically or bring it to the police department in person. However, he warned that if I showed up in person, there was a risk I could be arrested on the spot and held until the hearing. It was a manipulative way to push me toward electronic payment.

At this point, alarm bells started ringing in my mind. I asked for more details—who I should pay, where I should go, and how this process would work. He gave me an officer’s name and the address of the police department, but there was a problem: I had recently moved out of state. I told him it would be impossible for me to come in person that day. He seemed caught off guard but quickly adapted, telling me he’d speak to a supervisor and call me back.

Ten minutes later, he called again. This time, he said arrangements had been made for me to go to my local police department, where I would be processed before being transported back to the original location. He continued to pressure me to pay the bail electronically to avoid the hassle.

By now, I was terrified. My mind was racing, trying to think through all the options and implications. But something still felt off. I asked for his name and badge number, hung up, and called the National City Police Department directly using the number I found online.

That call confirmed my worst suspicions. The officer on the phone told me that, yes, they had received many reports of similar calls. It was a scam. They reassured me that police departments never ask for bail money over the phone and that you cannot remotely book yourself to avoid arrest.

When I shared this experience with my colleagues, I discovered that others had also been targeted. One colleague had even gone so far as to hire an attorney, withdraw cash, and head to the police department before realizing it was a scam.

You might wonder, how could a seasoned professional fall for something like this? The truth is the scam was sophisticated enough to trick even those of us with experience in psychology and critical thinking. The details, the voice, and the caller ID all worked together to create a scenario that felt legitimate.

I’m sharing this story so that if you ever receive a strange call like this, you’ll know to hang up and not engage with the caller at all. Report the incident to your local police department. Scammers are becoming increasingly clever, and it’s up to us to stay vigilant and protect ourselves and our practices from falling victim to these schemes.