Nashville police warn residents not to trust ‘candy kids’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Metro Nashville Police are warning residents to be wary of “candy kids.”

Police say that young people in Nashville are scamming people by pretending to raise money for school or a sports team, but in reality, “it is a plot to steal your money.”

Police say the young scammers have been reportedly approaching shoppers at popular complexes.

“Sadly, we continue to see reports in Nashville where people are being scammed out of unauthorized amounts of money by young people posing as fundraisers — typically by way of third party apps,” the department said. “Spread the word and protect your money.”

When someone uses a payment app or credit/debit cards, the kids are reportedly “quickly changing the amount charged and are running off with thousands of dollars.”

Investigators ask anyone who believes they spotted or interacted with a group of young scammers to call 616-862-8600.

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