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# Phone Scam Uses Streator Police Name
- URL: https://www.thestreatorstandard.com/f/phone-scam-uses-streator-police-name/
- Published: 2026-06-28T12:20:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-19T13:58:53.000Z
- Author: The Streator Standard
- Tags: News, Public Safety

Streator police are warning residents about a phone scam in which callers are falsely using the department’s name and address to deceive members of the public.

The warning was issued after the Streator Police Department said scammers were using the department’s identity as part of a fraudulent call scheme. Public reporting on the warning said callers have been leaving voicemail messages that direct residents to call a fake automated phone system.

Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because it uses the name of the Streator Police Department, refers to City Hall or appears to involve a local law enforcement agency. Scammers can use real names, real addresses and spoofed phone numbers to make a fraudulent call appear official.

The Streator Police Department is located at 204 S. Bloomington St. The department’s listed phone number is 815-672-3111\. The non-emergency number listed by the city is 815-844-0911\. Emergency calls should still go to 911.

The safest response to a suspicious call is to hang up and contact police directly using a known, verified number. Residents should not call back a number left in a suspicious voicemail and should not follow prompts from an automated system claiming to represent police.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers often impersonate local law enforcement by faking caller ID, using the name of a real officer or claiming the person called must pay money to avoid arrest. Real law enforcement officers will not call residents and demand payment by cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app or wire transfer to resolve a supposed crime, fine, warrant or legal matter.

This is not the first time Streator residents have been warned about police impersonation scams. In January 2025, Streator police warned about callers claiming residents had active warrants or that a loved one was in the LaSalle County Jail, then asking for money to resolve the situation or pay bail. In April 2023, police also warned residents that the department was not calling people to ask for contributions or payments to avoid legal trouble.

The pattern is familiar: create fear, add urgency, use an official-sounding name, then push the victim to act before checking the facts.

Residents who receive one of these calls should write down the phone number, save any voicemail, avoid sharing personal or financial information and report the incident to Streator police. Anyone who has already provided money, bank information, credit card information, Social Security information or other personal details should contact their financial institution immediately and make a police report.

The scam also can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Online or internet-enabled fraud can be reported through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The warning is especially important because law enforcement scams often target people who are trying to do the right thing. A resident who believes police are calling may feel pressure to respond quickly. That is exactly the pressure scammers rely on.

A legitimate officer or agency will allow a resident to verify the call independently. A scammer will try to keep the person on the phone, make the situation sound urgent and discourage them from calling someone else.

Anyone unsure whether a call from police is real should hang up, look up the department’s official phone number and call directly.