Cobb County police are warning about scammers who claim to be members of ISIS and threaten family members with violence.
“They are lowlifes. They are sewer dwellers of our society that would try that, especially on the elderly,” said Donna Rowe, a Cobb County resident, about the scammer who police say targeted an elderly man there.
“This is a new one for us where they actually said they are from [a] terrorist group,” said Cobb County police Officer Alicia Chilton.
Cobb County police are warning residents to be aware of the phone scammers pretending to be members of ISIS, trying to solicit money and making threats of violence.
The scheme is particularly playing on people’s vulnerability when emotions are heightened after two recent attacks in France and California, according to police.
“It was a pretty direct threat, it wasn’t just a generalization of 'Hey, we are coming after you,' it was pretty direct,” Chilton said.
According to a police report, the caller with an accent identified himself as David and said, in part, “Have you heard about Paris? I’m with them,” – implying he was behind the recent attacks.
Police said they have no reason to believe the callers are legitimate and have linked the number to other similar scams around the country.
“My reaction would be I’d hang up the phone and tell him to forget it. I will not be terrorized by these people,” Rowe said.
If the scammers are caught, they could face terroristic threat charges.
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