Police issue scam warning

SANDPOINT — Some people will stop at nothing to steal hard-earned money, even if it means manufacturing a family crisis in the process.

According to local resident Candy Moon, her family recently had a bizarre experience when her mother received a phone call from a male claiming to be her grandson. The caller said he had run into trouble with the police and needed $1,900 to bail himself out of jail. Unsure of what to think, she contacted Moon to get more information. As it turned out, Moon’s son was at work like any other average day.

“My parents are in their 80s, so if they weren’t as sharp as they are, who knows what might have happened,” Moon said.

When the family called the individual back to confront him with the knowledge of his scam, he immediately hung up. However, they later learned that a similar case occurred recently in Spokane, and in that instance, the targeted senior citizens forked over a couple thousand dollars after receiving the call.

According to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon, it’s not the first time officers have heard of the scam, even if they haven’t received any official reports in about six months or so. It’s only one scam of a many that the department has examined over the years. Craigslist ads fraudulently selling items that buyers won’t be able to examine before sending money are another popular approach.  

“The basic rule is if it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” Coon said.

Coon added it’s healthy to maintain a requisite amount of skepticism whenever anyone is trying to wrangle money from you. Always check out the situation to verify its legitimacy before handing over money. This is an especially important rule of thumb for senior citizens, whom fraudsters often perceive as easier targets.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me that a lot of these people like to prey on our elderly,” Coon said.

Always be wary of calls for money through Western Union transfers, which can be incredibly difficult for law enforcement to trace.

In addition, be careful while using debit cards instead of credit cards — stolen credit can usually be repaired, but once bank account money is gone, it’s often gone for good.

Coon recommends visiting the FBI website at www.fbi.gov to keep tabs on the most common forms of scam and fraud.