(Council Bluffs) On Monday, September 25th, 2023, the Council Bluffs Police Department (CBPD) began receiving reports that residents in the Council Bluffs area were being targeted by a group of suspects posing as law enforcement officers to obtain money fraudulently. The suspects used technology to “spoof” their phone numbers and make it appear that citizens were receiving calls from a legitimate law enforcement agency. Once on the phone, the suspects identified themselves as local law enforcement officers. They aggressively told victims that they had warrants for their arrest and needed to meet these “officers” to pay “bail money” to stay out of jail. It appears that the thieves targeted multiple people in the medical profession.
In the following days, investigators believe these suspects perpetrated this same scam in multiple jurisdictions in Iowa, including Council Bluffs, Carroll, Sioux City, and Iowa City.
The CBPD, in cooperation with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), is requesting that anyone who may have been contacted by persons claiming to be law enforcement and asking for bail money contact investigators to make a report. Citizens of Council Bluffs can call 712‐890‐5400, Option 5 to make a report. Outside of Council Bluffs, citizens can call the Iowa DCI at 712‐322‐1585. As a reminder, law enforcement officers will not contact you by phone and attempt to arrange for payment to clear an arrest warrant.
