Scammers are calling Park Falls residents from what looks like the Park Falls Police Department’s own phone number, telling them they have a warrant and demanding payment through a bitcoin ATM. The department issued a warning Wednesday after a number of residents (including a city employee) reported receiving the calls.
TLDR: Scammers are spoofing the Park Falls Police Department’s real number (715-762-2446) and telling people they have a warrant, then directing them to pay via bitcoin ATM or money transfer. It’s a scam. The real department never calls to demand payment or arrest you over the phone. Hang up and call the department back at 715-762-2446 or dial 911 in an emergency.
Quick Answer: The Park Falls Police Department issued a scam alert on August 5 after residents reported receiving calls from its number, 715-762-2446, claiming they have a warrant and demanding payment. This is a phone spoofing scam. The department does not call people to demand money or arrest them. If you get such a call, hang up, do not give personal information, and contact the department directly at 715-762-2446. In an emergency, call 911.
The scam: a warrant, a fake police number, and a bitcoin ATM
Last updated: August 2026
The Park Falls Police Department posted a warning Wednesday morning after a flurry of reports. In the span of about an hour, several residents told the department they had received a phone call from 715-762-2446, the department’s real non-emergency number. Even a city employee got one.
The caller claims the person has a warrant and then gives instructions on how to “address the matter,” steering victims toward depositing money into a bitcoin ATM or transferring money some other way. The goal is to obtain personal information or coerce a payment, the department said.
The trick works because the number on the caller ID is real. 715-762-2446 is the department’s official non-emergency line, listed on the city’s website. Scammers spoof it so the call looks legitimate. In the comments on the department’s warning, at least one person described the calls as “very very believable,” saying the caller seemed to know details about them.
What the department says to do
Park Falls Police were direct in their warning: this is a scam, and an attempt to steal your information or money. They also asked residents to pass the word to friends and family who may not use Facebook or be familiar with how these scams work.
The department’s advice: never give personal information over the phone to someone you don’t personally know, and if a caller claims to be law enforcement, a bank, or a government agency and is seeking information or telling you about a warrant or unpaid citations, end the call. Then contact the agency yourself using a phone number from its official website, not the number that called you.
You can reach the Park Falls Police Department directly at 715-762-2446. If you are witnessing a crime in progress or experiencing an emergency, call 911.
Why this one is more dangerous than most
Warrant scams are not new; one commenter noted this type of call has “been around a long time.” What makes this round more dangerous is the caller ID spoofing of a real, local police number.
Caller ID that reads as the local police department carries real weight with residents. When the number matches the one on the city website, a reasonable person can be forgiven for believing the call is real. It is not.
Park Falls Police said these calls often originate overseas and will hopefully subside, but they urged anyone who gets one to hang up and verify directly rather than acting on the call.
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