California authorities warn of Amber alert scam targeting parents

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is warning parents about scammers using the fear of child abduction to gain sensitive information.

CHP officials said scammers are posing as “AMBER Alert representatives” and contacting parents with an offer to register their children in a database in the event that the child goes missing or is taken. These scammers are also requesting personal information and even requesting meetups at parents' homes.

“This is NOT how AMBER Alerts work!,” CHP wrote on Facebook. “Only CHP can activate them — no registration required.”

Officials advise parents to avoid sharing personal information and to ignore calls from unknown numbers or those flagged as “possible scams."

If you encounter an Amber Alert scam, report it immediately to local law enforcement.

AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. It’s an alert used to notify the public whenever a child is abducted.

The system was created as a legacy to a 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996.

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