Authorities warn of Amber Alert scams targeting concerned parents

The California Highway Patrol has issued a stark warning to parents about the rising trend of scammers using the fear of child abduction to gain sensitive information.

CHP officials said phone scammers have been contacting parents posing as “Amber Alert representatives,” offering to register their children in a database in the event that the child goes missing or is taken.

The scammers ask for confidential information and even ask to meet the parent at their home, officials said.

But law enforcement officials are urging parents not to fall for those tactics, emphatically stating that this is now how the Amber Alert system works.

In California, the CHP is the sole agency authorized to activate Amber Alerts, which do not require prior registration. There are no “Amber Alert representatives” and no exclusive database for children who have been “registered.”

Authorities urge parents to remain vigilant and skeptical when receiving any calls from unknown numbers or calls that show up as “possible scam.”

You should never provide personal information to those callers, CHP said, and if you’ve been contacted by a scammer, you should report it to local law enforcement immediately.

“Stay informed and protect yourself,” CHP said.

The Amber Alert system was founded in the 1990s in Texas in response to the kidnapping and killing of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman. Since then, all 50 states have established alert systems and the federal government has partnered with telecom and social media companies to help widely broadcast the emergency in hopes of preventing further tragedies.

As of December 2024, more than 1,200 children were successfully recovered through the Amber Alert system and 195 children were rescued because of wireless emergency alerts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The California Highway Patrol has issued a stark warning to parents about the rising trend of scammers using the fear of child abduction to gain sensitive information. CHP officials said phone scammers have been contacting parents posing as “Amber Alert representatives,” offering to register their children in a database in the event that the child […]