Scammers are back at it again, and they’re trying to pull at the heartstrings of family members.
The scam making its way around the Peninsula is when the scammer calls a victim and attempts to be a family member who is seeking bail money.
According to Kenai Police Chief Dave Ross, the KPD has received some calls about individuals saying they have loved ones in jail or in Mexico, and need financial assistance.
While this is not a new scam, it unfortunately is a common one. Oftentimes, it’s grandparents getting coaxed out of money for their alleged ‘grandchildren.’
“You know, the scammers are going to want that, the money sent right away and they’re not going to want you to talk to other people. That should be all the more concerned that it is a scam. Yeah, certainly you call the police, you know, I think, but the vast majority of these are are a scam, so. But you know, you play on people’s sympathy. Sometimes they’ve spoofed the voice or they get a child to talk or, you know, they try to make it as dramatic as they can.”
Ross says that the best advice is to not panic, and look into the facts. The more urgent someone sounds to get money, the less real the situation actually is.
“I would say the best thing people can do is is call or text to the actual person that is supposedly in trouble as they’re known number. You know, if the grandparent text or call their grandchild, if they can’t get a hold of them directly then they call other family members just to ensure their there’s a real emergency because in most cases there is not,” said Ross.
If you’re still concerned about a situation, and don’t know if it’s a scam or not, contact the Kenai Police Department to help you assess the situation at 907-283-7879.
