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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth - Police Department
Mike Ceynowa, Chief of Police
2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
DATE: 1/22/2010
SUBJECT: Police alert citizens of recent money transfer scam
BY: Officer Brad Wick, Information Coordinator
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Money Transfer Scam
CASE NO.: 10211320
INCIDENT DATE: 1/21/2010
INCIDENT TIME: 1913 hours
INCIDENT LOCATION: Duluth
SUBJECT: Police alert citizens of recent money transfer scam
BY: Officer Brad Wick, Information Coordinator
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Money Transfer Scam
CASE NO.: 10211320
INCIDENT DATE: 1/21/2010
INCIDENT TIME: 1913 hours
INCIDENT LOCATION: Duluth
Duluth Police want to advise citizens of recent money transfer scam.
On Thursday evening, January 21, 2010, Duluth police took a report from a couple who said they had received a call stating that their grandson was in a automobile crash and going to be put in jail in Toronto, Canada unless they sent $2400.00. The caller claimed to be the grandson’s attorney and told the elderly couple that they should send the money by Western Union. The couple was just about to send the money and hesitated only when they were told there would be a large Western Union fee to send the money. The couple then contacted their daughter who told them that their grandson was not in Canada.
Grandparents and other caring individuals can learn how to avoid being taken in by a fake emergency. If you get a call from a family member or someone claiming to represent a family member asking you to wire money, for example, don’t panic — and resist the urge to act immediately. Some guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission are:
- Try to verify the caller’s identity by asking personal questions a stranger couldn’t answer.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately; don’t be afraid to use a phone number you know to be genuine to call back. If you don’t have the relative’s phone number, get in touch with the person’s parent, spouse, or another close family member to check out the story before you send any money, even if you’ve been told to keep the event a secret.
- If you can’t reach a family member and still aren’t sure what to do, call your local police, they can help you sort things out.
- No matter how dramatic the story, don’t wire money. Don’t send a check or money order by overnight delivery or courier, either. Con artists recommend these services so they can get your money before you realize you’ve been cheated.
- Report possible fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.