Reported Fire Department Phone Scam

On Wednesday, September 8, 2022, the Commanders of the Ocean City Fire Department and the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company received a report of a phone scam from a resident.

The scam involves a caller who claims to represent the Ocean City Fire Department. The scammer is seeking donations on behalf of the fire department.

“The Ocean City Fire Department and the Volunteer Fire Company do not call residents asking for donations,” commented Public Information Officer Ryan Whittington. “These callers may sound very convincing, but they are simply con artists, attempting to take advantage of our community.” Citizens are reminded that no Ocean City public safety division will ever call you asking for a donation.

The Volunteer Fire Company and the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation typically mail a written request for donations in an annual fund drive letter. These letters will only come from the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company or the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation. The return address on the envelope will only go to one of the following addresses:

The Bank of Ocean City
5900 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, MD 21842

Ocean City Paramedic Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 3099
Ocean City, MD 21842

Citizens that receive calls from scammers claiming to be from the Ocean City Fire Department seeking donations should hang up immediately. You can also report scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Share any information you have – like the name of the organization or fundraiser, phone number, and what the fundraiser said when you report the scam.

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