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Aransas Pass PD: Phone scam is targeting registered sex offenders

APPD said they expect to see more of this scam since registered sex offenders information is readily available online.

ARANSAS PASS, Texas — A new phone scam is targeting registered sex offenders, according to Aransas Pass police.

Wednesday, police say a man came into the police department requesting to speak with an officer about a phone scam he may have been a victim of. 

The victim told police he received a phone call from a person who identified themselves as "Sergeant Yates or Gates with the Aransas Pass Police Department." The victim was then threatened with legal action for "failing to register as a sex offender."

Authorities said because the victim is a registered offender, he believed the call was legitimate. He told police he even heard "police radio chatter" over the call. 

The caller told the man to go get $1,500 worth of gift cards to avoid the "legal action," which officials said is the number one clue it is a scam.

The victim told police the caller was very convincing and "it did not sound like the most common scammers associated with telephone scams that target our area."

Officials warn that more registered sex offenders are likely to receive this scam phone call because their information is readily available online. 

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