Police warn of scams soliciting money related to the death of Sgt. Gannon

YARMOUTH, Mass. — The Yarmouth Police Department is warning residents of a scam claiming to solicit money on behalf of a fund for the deceased K-9 Sargent Sean Gannon.

In a Facebook post, Yarmouth Police said Barnstable Police officers have received several calls stating someone is raising money for the "Sean Gannon Fund", which is not a legitimate fundraiser for the fallen officer.

The link to the real fundraiser set up by the Yarmouth Police Foundation can be found here.

They said several residents on the Cape have received the calls.

RELATED: Yarmouth officer fatally shot while serving warrant for firearms violations

Many said they're upset that someone would do such a thing just eight days after Sgt. Gannon was killed in the line of duty.

Flowers, gifts and donations continue to pour into the Yarmouth Police Department as they mourn the loss of one of their members.

"There’s a hole missing here, he was a wonderful person, a good police officer and there’s some shoes that can’t be filled right now," said Officer Mary Gibney. "Frankly, it's quite disgusting trying to take advantage of the death of someone who meant so much to so many, you know, family, friends and community."

They also stressed the fact that there are no phone solicitations being conducted to raise money for Gannon's family.

The department said the phone numbers calling about the scam so far are: 508-418-0669, 508-418-0431 and 508-418-0979.

Stephanie Erickson, widow of the last Yarmouth officer killed in the line of duty in 2000, was one of many people on the Cape who received the call.

"He gave me a name and said he was calling on behalf of the police something fund," said Erickson.

Erickson said she knew right away it was a scam and cut the caller off.

"I told him I'm a widow of a police officer killed in the line of duty, and I've never heard of your organization and I'm going to report you," said Erickson.

Erickson's husband had been directing traffic at a road-improvement project on Dec. 1, 2000 in Barnstable when he was struck by a fully loaded heavy construction vehicle. He later died from his injuries.

She said while her husband's death can't compare to what happened to Gannon, she still feels for his family and can't believe someone would use his death to scam people for money.

"So it does appear as a local number and I believe it may even come up, town of Barnstable, but it’s absolutely not a legitimate solicitation," said Erickson. "I hope that these people are able to be shut down and held accountable, not just shut down but held accountable because this is really pretty disgusting to come from a local number."

Gannon was shot in the line of duty on April 12 while serving a warrant. His K-9, Nero, was also shot but has been recovering well.

Anyone who wishes to donate on behalf of Sgt. Gannon can do so through the Yarmouth Police Foundation. They only accept in-person donations at the Yarmouth Police Headquarters or via mail or online donations. You can find more information on how to donate by clicking here.

You can also contribute to a verified GoFundMe page for Officer Gannon's family here. 

Cox Media Group