The California Highway Patrol is warning residents of San Luis Obispo County about a new phone scam involving individuals posing as Amber Alert representatives.
The scammers offer to "register" children in the Amber Alert system, requesting confidential information and proposing in-person meetings at victims' homes.
"Nobody will ever call and ask about Amber Alert information," said Ryan Armstrong, Templeton CHP Public Information Officer. "That will be reported to your local agency, so if somebody calls and asks about an Amber Alert registry, you know instantly that it's a scam.”
The CHP emphasizes that this is not how the Amber Alert system operates. The agency is the sole authority authorized to activate Amber Alerts in California, and no registration process is required for participation.
Armstrong advises the public to avoid providing personal information or answering calls from unknown numbers and to contact your local police station if you receive one of these scam calls.
