March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 42 F

Police warn local businesses of pre-planted bombs

The City’s Main Streets Annapolis Partnership issued a frightening warning to local businesses in this morning’s email.  bombthreat

From Anne Arundel County Police:

Commercial businesses across the country have been plagued by threats of pre-planted bombs being in their businesses. In the last 18 months, Anne Arundel County has seen approximately six of these incidents.

The callers demand a ransom or the device will be remotely detonated. The ransom in most cases must be paid via Green Dot Money Pak cards. These cards can be easily purchased in most chain stores and allow the purchaser the ability to place up to $500 on each card. On the rear of the card is a scratch off tab which reveals a pin code. Once the pin code is given to the caller, the money is immediately transferred to a fraudulent account they have set up. The victim instantly loses that money. In most cases, multiple cards are demanded to eliminate the threat.

Our guidance to you as a business owner is to be aware of this ongoing scam. We ask that you assess any such calls as to their validity. The Police Department makes no recommendation as to evacuations and leaves that decision to the management staff. We recommend you follow your corporate protocols in these incidents.

The Police Department would never place any employee or customer in harm’s way. We ask that you scan your business for any suspicious packages and act accordingly. Our response will be predicated on information received from the business. Officers will be dispatched, although a full bomb protocol response will not normally occur in these incidents, unless facts dictate a higher level response.

The important point is your knowledge that this scam is becoming more prevalent and has occurred locally.

Contact Annapolis Police with any questions: 410-268-9000

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