06/12/2026
The scam attempts keep coming and they are getting quite elaborate. A resident received a call earlier this week from a person posing as one of our majors, and it appeared on caller ID that he placed the call from our office phone number.
The reason for his call was quite elaborate. He informed the resident that someone had stolen their ID (and he provided the person's correct social security number, birthdate, address, email address etc.) The "major" went on to explain that the thief used the victim's information to buy millions of dollars worth of fentanyl, and that for safety purposes, the victim now needed to enter the witness protection program under a new identity. He even emailed "official" paperwork. Then, when the "major" transferred the person to an FBI agent, the plot thickened even more.
We don't want to provide too many details, because would-be crooks read Facebook, too, and we don't want to teach more people how to commit these terrible crimes!
Fortunately, our resident smelled something fishy and came to talk with us - despite the agent's insistence on complete secrecy "for the victim's own safety." [Yeah, right.]
Fear, secrecy, official documents, spoofed numbers, knowledge of personal details, and a promise to help get out of a tremendous jam - this situation had all the classic elements of a scam. It can be hard to spot a scam when you are terrified.
Fortunately, our resident came to talk to us. We were able to offer reassurance, make sure they did not suffer any monetary loss, and provide some suggestions about further financial safeguards. We hope others will seek our assistance in similar situations. Remember: no law enforcement officer will object to you calling another law enforcement officer for verification of a problem. If they do, just hang up the phone.
