Law enforcement around Alaska began reporting in mid August of transient individuals scamming people around the state, proffering counterfeit jewelry and fake gold through social media marketplaces, or leveraging hard-luck stories to peddle similar items in person to good-natured, if too trusting, folks. In each of these scenarios, unsuspecting buyers attempt to resell the jewelry only to find out the items are worthless.
“This is a statewide phenomenon. They are hitting all over the Peninsula and Anchorage. One car load [of victims] was stopped up in Tok,” said Soldotna Police Chief, Gene Meek.
The suspects involved are described as well-dressed men or women who appear foreign in both their clothing and their speech. When they make contact, they will attempt to sell gold jewelry. It has been reported that the suspects will become verbally aggressive when a citizen refuses to buy the jewelry.
“We have several different groups all working under the same MO,” Meek said. “What they’re doing is they show up at various businesses or gas stations and engage the public by [saying in effect] ‘Hey we’re Middle Eastern (pick a country that’s over there), we are on vacation; we’re out of gas; we need hotel room money,’ and they attempt to sell fake gold to people who are unaware of what they’re buying.”
Initially, police reports of the scams were primarily in the Anchorage area, but over the last three to four weeks the suspects have spread to other parts of the state. Reports of these incidents now stretch from Fairbanks to Homer.
The suspects also frequently swap vehicles, which has made it difficult for authorities to track them, or pin down their location.
According to Meek, SPD and Alaska State Troopers have reports of some of the vehicles involved in the peninsula’s branch of the scams. “We currently have a gold Chevy Equinox that is involved and we also have a Charcoal Gray crossover vehicle.”
The thing is, these scammers aren’t exactly asking for pocket change when they engage the public. According to Anchorage Police Public Information Officer, Renee Oistad, the amounts are staggeringly high. “They’re not asking for small amounts of money. It’s not five or $10. It’s several hundreds into several thousands of dollars and people are giving it And then when the victim. Is go to resell the jewelry. That’s when they’re finding out that it’s not good jewelry, it’s just junk.”
Chief Meek says not to take the bait; the better the offer, the redder the flag. “When people are approached with someone who is trying to sell them something and the deal sounds too good to be true, they need to contact us, help get us involved and help get these folks identified so that our victims can get some type of restitution and or at least we can start charging folks and get them into our system.”
Moral of the story? Don’t talk to strangers. And if the stranger aggressively attempting to sell you their jewelry at the gas station or on the side of the road won’t leave you alone, just call the police.
*Photo courtesy of Soldotna Police Department
*Audio courtesy of Alaska’s News Source