After a scam targeted multiple Kenai Peninsula families this weekend, the Department of Public Safety is telling community members to verify first and then report the scam activity to authorities.
Department of Public Safety Communications Director Johnathon Taylor says the first step for people if they receive a call like this is to verify what the caller is saying.
DPS Comm Dir. Taylor: “Individuals who are utilizing these types of scams are often trained to prey on the feeling of helplessness and concern and panic that people have and can convince people to do things that they would not otherwise do. So first is to verify, to try and see whether or not it’s suspicious.”
The scams reported, in which the caller contacted close family members of one Kenai woman and threatened sexual assault and death to her if a ransom was not met, have been experienced across Alaska this year.
Taylor says if families are or have been targeted in this sort of scam, the best step after verification that your family is safe is to report the incident to the FBI through their Internet Crime Complaint Center.
DPS Comm Dir. Taylor: “If the scammers are not actually calling from the state of Alaska, the Alaska State Troopers or local police departments might not actually have jurisdiction. So reporting it to the FBI is always the first step. If folks do want to contact the local law enforcement agency, whether that’s our local police department or Troopers and let them know, they can absolutely do that.”
The Kenai woman did report her incident to the FBI. Communications Director Staci Feger-Pellessier in the FBI’s Anchorage Office says they are looking into the incident.