CHP warns of AMBER Alert scam

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) office in South Lake Tahoe is joining others in warning the public about a current rash of phone scammers who are posing as AMBER Alert representatives.

The phone scammers offer to “register” children on their system and ask for confidential info and offer to meet at your home. This is NOT how the AMBER Alert system works.

CHP is the only agency authorized to activate AMBER Alerts in California and there is no registration required.

CHP offers this advice:

- Never provide personal information or answer calls from unknown or “possible scam” numbers.
- If you’ve been contacted by a scammer, report it to your local law enforcement agency immediately.

Stay informed and protect yourself!

The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, TX, and then brutally murdered. Other states and communities soon set up their own AMBER plans as the idea was adopted across the nation.

For information on other scams, visit the FBI's dedicated scam alert website at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams.