Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Tips and Services

Crime Prevention Tips

The Wyoming Police Department continues to see reports coming through regarding citizen’s being scammed by online solicitations and through the United States mail. The Metropolitan Fraud and Identity Theft Team, a collaborative effort between metropolitan law enforcement agencies that is housed and supervised at the Wyoming Police Department, has the following information for our citizens.

Phishing Scams, as the name implies, are blanket emails soliciting individuals to contact an individual or organization for employment, lottery winnings, and inheritance or to contribute to a charitable organization shortly after or in reference to some sort of disaster or current need around the world. People should always be cautious of any unsolicited emails or letters asking for contributions or promising money via the internet or mail.

  • Secret Shopper solicitations in which the “company” sends you a check that is normally much more than needed.  They ask that you cash it and wire the money to a specific account, keep a couple hundred dollars for your work and keep the items purchased.  Companies do not send checks to be cashed and money wired back to them.  Your bank has the right to come after you for funds that are given to you from the check that has your information on it.  Ignorance is not an excuse. 
  • Craig's list or EBay purchases in which the person purchasing your item sends you a check for more than the item is being sold for and asking you to wire them the money left over after the purchase.  People do not send checks in an amount way more than the purchase price of an item and ask the person to wire it back.  
  • Lottery winnings or an inheritance in a foreign country that requires you to send money to get your money is a scam.  If it were legitimate they would deduct costs from the amount.  This should also be done through an attorney of your choosing to make sure it is legal and has appropriate documents.  People do not pay to get money due to them. 
  • Do not provide personal information to these solicitations over the internet.  Calls that claim they are from a police department or court claiming they need to verify your social security number for jury purposes is a scam.  No police department or court representative will ask you for a social security number over the phone.

If it is too good to be true, then it is more than likely a scam. During difficult economic times people are more apt to become victims of these online predators. Common sense can be a powerful tool in these instances. If you have any questions or concerns regarding solicitations such as these please contact us at 530-7335.

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