Fake Police Scams in Costa Rica
Fraudsters impersonating OIJ investigators or Fuerza Pública officers call Costa Ricans demanding immediate payments to avoid arrest warrants or resolve alleged family emergencies.
Part of: Fake Police Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Police impersonation fraud is well-documented in Costa Rica, with scammers calling in Spanish and presenting as Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) investigators, Fuerza Pública officers, or even Costa Rican prosecutors. The calls combine fear, authority, and urgency to override the victim's critical thinking and extract SINPE Móvil payments.
The 'virtual kidnapping' variant — claiming a family member has been detained or injured — is especially effective in Costa Rica's family-oriented culture, where concern for relatives can override normal caution.
How this scam works on Costa Rica
A caller presents as an OIJ investigator and tells the victim they or a family member are involved in a narcotrafficking or money-laundering investigation. An immediate payment via SINPE Móvil will 'suspend the investigation.' The caller may play ambient police-station sounds and speak with official terminology to sound credible.
For the family variant, a distressed voice is put on the line claiming to be the victim's son or daughter, followed by the 'investigator' demanding bail payment. The victim is told not to call the family member and is kept on the line to prevent verification. SINPE Móvil's real-time payment makes the transfer irreversible before the victim can confirm the story.
Some operations use spoofed numbers that appear to originate from OIJ headquarters or specific courts, making caller ID verification ineffective.
Common red flags
- Call from police demanding immediate SINPE Móvil payment to avoid arrest
- Caller instructs you to remain on the line and not call the alleged detained family member
- Distressed voice on the line claiming to be a family member may be staged or a third party
- Payment requested via SINPE Móvil to a personal number rather than an official account
- Caller ID shows OIJ or Fuerza Pública but the call involves financial demands
- Extreme urgency: you have minutes before a warrant is executed
How to protect yourself
- Hang up and call the alleged family member directly on their known number immediately
- Call OIJ on 800-8000-645 or Fuerza Pública on 911 from a different device to verify
- Real Costa Rican law enforcement never demands SINPE Móvil payment over the phone
- Establish a family verification code word for genuine emergencies
- Warn elderly relatives who are primary targets of the family-arrest variant
- Preserve the incoming number and report it to OIJ
How to report it
- Report to the OIJ at oij.go.cr or call 800-8000-645
- File a complaint with the Ministerio Público for extortion charges
- Report spoofed calls to SUTEL (telecoms regulator) at sutel.go.cr
Frequently asked questions
How can I quickly confirm whether a family member is actually in police custody?
Call that family member directly on their own known number — do not use any number given to you by the caller. If you can't reach them, call OIJ at 800-8000-645 to check independently rather than relying on the caller's claims.
The caller played what sounded like police station background noise — does that add credibility?
No — ambient sounds like this are trivially easy to fake or play from a recording and prove nothing about who is actually calling. Hang up and verify through the official OIJ number regardless of how convincing the background sounds.
Does the OIJ ever call citizens to demand payment?
No. The OIJ conducts investigations and may summon individuals to appear, but never calls to demand payment over the phone. Any call demanding money from an OIJ 'investigator' is a scam.