SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
Getting The Local Police On Your Side Has Everything To Do With Understanding Their Role!
What Is The Role Of Local Police And What Can They And Can’t They Do?
Your local police are responsible for maintaining law and order within their communities. They have a wide range of responsibilities, but there are certain things they can and cannot do.
They can:
- Respond to emergency calls and investigate crimes.
- Patrol their designated areas to deter crime and maintain public safety.
- Investigate crimes within their jurisdiction.
- Make arrests and detain suspects.
- Provide first response and other assistance to the public.
- Work with other law enforcement agencies and community organizations to address crime and public safety issues.
What Limits The Local Police Involvement With Transnational Organized Crime?
There are several factors that limit local police involvement with transnational organized crime (such as relationship scams):
- Jurisdiction: Local police have jurisdiction only within their own town, county, state or province, or country, and may not have the authority to investigate or arrest individuals or groups operating across national borders.
- Resources: Local police departments often have limited resources, such as funding and personnel, to devote to investigating and combating transnational organized crime.
- Lack of specialized expertise: Transnational organized crime often involves sophisticated criminal activities, such as money laundering, and cybercrime, which require specialized expertise to investigate and prosecute. Local police may not have the necessary training or experience to effectively address these types of crimes.
- Limited international cooperation: Local police may face barriers to cooperation and information sharing with foreign law enforcement agencies, which can make it more difficult to investigate and prosecute transnational organized crime.
- Corruption: In some countries, local police may be susceptible to corruption, and may have difficulty combating transnational organized crime groups that have infiltrated or co-opted law enforcement agencies.
What Can They Do?
Having said the above, what can they do?
- They can take complaints and reports and make sure they are forwarded to agencies that can effectively make use of them.
- They can help victims understand their victims’ rights in their state, province, or country, and be connected with a local victims’ advocate to help guide them to resources and services that can help the victim.
- They can understand that victims (especially of cyber-enabled crime) may be very traumatized and need to be heard.
- They can explain the processes – what they can, cannot, and will do.
- They can allow the victims’ to stay connected and informed of any progress or changes in their case.
- They can help victims recover their money!
- They can notify & coordinate with other jurisdictions to shut down Money Mules.
- Forward the case to the State, Provincial, or National cybercrime police units. This includes forwarding the case to the FBI – when local police call them in, there is a greater chance that the FBI will take on the case.
- Forward the case to their local prosecutor for additional action.
Why Don’t The Local Police Investigate These Crimes?
There are many factors that police detectives consider when deciding which crimes to investigate and which ones they do not want to investigate. Some of the main factors that may influence their decisions include:
- The severity of the crime: Detectives are more likely to prioritize investigating serious crimes, such as homicides, sexual assaults, and armed robberies, over less serious crimes, such as petty thefts or vandalism.
- The likelihood of solving the crime: Detectives may be more likely to investigate crimes that they believe they have a good chance of solving, based on the availability of evidence and potential leads.
- The potential impact on the community: Detectives may prioritize investigating crimes that have a significant impact on the community, such as those that
- Special circumstances: such as Elder Abuse
Can You File A Police Report On A Scammer?
If you have fallen victim to a scam, your local police department should be able to help along with the resources mentioned above. It is generally best to file a police report on a scammer, reach out to your bank, and file a complaint with the appropriate federal agency as soon as possible after you have been scammed.
To file a police report for a scam, you will need to make a call to or visit the fraud division of your local police department. Make sure you are able to provide them with information about the incident, from bank statements to credit card charges, emails, and phone call history. If you have any information about the scammer, such as their physical appearance, the sound of their voice, phone number, or IP address, be prepared to share it with the authorities.
We recommend that you prepare well in advance. Here are resources that can help with that:
- A Scam Victim’s Checklist
- SCARS Webinar: Telling Your Story Part 1 – Telling The Police
- SCARS RED BOOK – Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record
Upon reaching out to the police, they will ask you for the information they need to file the report. Be sure to make a note of which officer files the report and their contact information in case you need to follow up.
Depending on what kind of scam has taken place, your local authorities may not be able to catch the scammer. In this case, they should be able to provide you with additional resources to help. Sometimes, your local police department will direct you to a state consumer protection office for scams related to banking, insurance, investments, and household utilities.
Getting The Police To Act!
There are a few steps you can take to try to motivate local police to investigate and take action on a financial fraud case:
- Gather and organize all relevant documentation: Collect any evidence you have of the fraud, such as bank statements, email exchanges, or contracts. Make sure this documentation is organized and easy to understand.
- File a report with the police: Contact your local police department and file a report about the fraud. Make sure to provide as much detail as possible, including the names of any individuals or businesses involved and the nature of the fraud.
- Seek legal counsel: Consider speaking with a lawyer or a legal aid organization to help you navigate the process of reporting the fraud and seeking justice. A lawyer can also help you determine what legal remedies may be available to you.
- Work with regulatory agencies: If the fraud involves a business or financial institution, you may want to report it to a regulatory agency such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). These agencies have the authority to investigate and take action against companies that engage in fraudulent activities.
- Be persistent: If you feel that the police are not taking your case seriously, don’t give up. It may be helpful to follow up with the police periodically to inquire about the status of the investigation and to provide any additional information or documentation you have.
How Should Local Police Respond To A Report Of A Money Mule?
If local police receive a report of a money mule, they should take the following steps:
- Investigate the report: The police should thoroughly investigate the report of a money mule, including collecting any relevant documentation and interviewing any witnesses or individuals involved.
- Determine the severity of the crime: Money muling is often a sign of a larger criminal operation, such as a money laundering scheme or a cybercrime ring. The police should determine the extent of the criminal activity and whether it warrants further investigation.
- Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies: Money muling often involves individuals or organizations operating in multiple jurisdictions. The police should coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, both within their own country and internationally, to build a more complete picture of the criminal operation.
- Take appropriate action: Depending on the severity of the crime and the evidence gathered, the police may choose to arrest and charge individuals involved in the money muling operation, or they may refer the case to a federal law enforcement agency for further investigation.
It’s important to note that money muling is a serious crime that can have serious consequences for those involved. If you suspect someone you know may be involved in money muling, it’s important to report it to the authorities as soon as possible.
The Two Main Reasons Police Don’t Act
- The resources available: Detectives have to work within the constraints of the resources available to them. If there are not enough detectives or other resources available to investigate a particular crime, it may not be feasible for them to take it on.
- The priorities of the department: Police departments may have specific priorities regarding the types of crimes they want to investigate, and detectives may be expected to align their investigations with these priorities.
Ultimately, the decision to investigate a crime is often based on a combination of these and other factors, and it is up to the detectives and their supervisors to determine the best course of action.
We respect our local police, but they need better training and a new alignment of priorities!
Remember that local police work for YOU and your community!
What Can You Do When They Will Not Act?
- Ask the officer why they are not taking action. Be civil and polite, but firm.
- Ask to speak with the manager (often a Captain) of Detectives
- Ask to speak with your local police Chief or Sherrif
- Ask to speak with your local police commission
- Ask to speak with your town’s mayor
- Ask to speak with your town’s city council
- Ask to speak with your local District Attorney (sometimes called State Attorney or Provincial or Crown Attorney or Prosecutor)
You have a right to ask for answers. You have a right to speak with your elected officials and the agencies they manage.
However, YOU have to manage both your expectations and your emotions. If you are angry then the conversations will go no where!
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
This is all great information. But in my case, first my local law enforcement is so convinced that all fraud originates in Nigeria they would not take me seriously, especially when they asked the name of the celebrity that the criminal was impersonating. I was never so embarrassed as that day when they laughed me out of the sheriffs office which because we are in a small rural town also houses the majority of county services including the clerk’s office, the VA office and the county courts. They would not bring me to a private office stating there are none. That was in July 2024.
Finally in September of 2024 after I had money involved they took me more seriously. The deputy sheriff who came out – took my files and receipts, went back to the office, made copies which he handed to his superior who is the investigator for the county. He brought my files back, but failed to leave his badge number, his name or a report number. When I called the office to request to speak with him I had no name or identification (that was my fault). A message was taken but I never heard back. Finally, after being in SCARS support I was encouraged to try again, for my sake and for me being able to accept that a crime was committed against me. This time I reached out by email and the Sargent who came that night called me back and apologized for his lack of professionalism. I now have a report number, his name, badge and email address. Too much time has passed now. But I did learn that the investigator referred this to the State Police who did investigate the addresses on the wire transfer information. Unfortunately, they lead to a large apartment complex not a bank as was first thought.
It helps to understand the role of the police. And I do accept that this is my loss and I am responsible for paying it back, I drew on my credit cards. However, it still leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth that the criminals know this so well and get away with it. It leaves me frustrated no matter how much I understand the mechanics of it all.
I hope that more people report when they have been a victim of fraud so local police can give more attention to these crimes.