Attempted Theft By Deception / Scam Phone Call

DATE & TIME: 01-29-2018 / 1137

LOCATION: Rural Pickrell, Nebraska         

OFFENSE: Attempted Theft By Deception / Scam Phone Call

CASE #: 2018-0411

A Gage County Sheriff’s Office investigator was contacted by Jeff Shew of Shew Towing, due to a suspicious service call he had received. Mr. Shew was contacted by telephone and asked to unlock a vehicle and house at a farm north of Pickrell, Nebraska. When the person calling could not properly pronounce the name of the homeowner, Mr. Shew became suspicious and did not proceed to unlock the vehicle or house, instead contacted an investigator to express his concerns. Mr. Shew provided the telephone number of 206-497-9461 as the phone number from which he received the work order. He also described the person calling as having an accent, although he could not identify the type of accent, other than it sounded as if the person did not speak English as a first language.

A Gage County Sheriff’s Office deputy in a marked patrol unit was dispatched to the residence where he met the homeowner returning with a family member. At the same time, the investigator was speaking on the phone with another family member who was out of the state on business. Both family members reported that their father had been the victim of previously reported scams and mailings, and although they had taken steps to prevent this, they were concerned about future attempts to defraud him.

One of the Gage County Sheriff’s Office investigators called the number provided by Mr. Shew and told him he had been called by someone at this number. The suspect then asked for the investigator’s name, to which the investigator provided the nom de guerre of “Timothy Gustafson”. Although this fabricated person does not exist, the suspect told the investigator he was an “International Category I raffle winner” and had won $8,500,000.00. The suspect then asked for “Timothy Gustafson’s” home address, whether he was married, divorced, widowed, etc., if he owned his home, and if he had any vehicles and had any bank accounts. The investigator provided answers, including giving the address of 612 Lincoln Street in Beatrice, which is the address for the Gage County Sheriff’s Office.

After a few moments, the suspect stated the “prize team” was in Pickrell, which he mispronounced and that “Timothy Gustafson” had been selected to be a winner out of 9,555 entrants, based on “shopping at your favorite grocery store, paying bills on time, and being a US citizen over the age of 25.” The suspect, who did have a pronounced accent, repeated several times that the winner was going to be “Financially Freedom”, that the phone call was “Leggitt”, meaning “Legitimate”, and that “This is not a joke”, he was affiliated with the “Better Business Burios” (sic) and the Internal Revenues Services” (sic).  The suspect stated that in order to collect the $8.5 million, a registration fee of $4,520.00 would have to be paid.

The suspect asked if “Timothy Gustafson” had any cash at the house and the investigator replied, “Yes, about a $1,000.00”, to which the suspect stated the “winner” should go to the nearest Wal-Mart and make a “Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart” transaction and send the $1,000.00 to a “Merchant Banker, George Beach, Cleveland, Ohio.” The investigator was told to keep the transaction and this business “private and confidential” and if anyone at Wal-Mart asked, the money was being sent to a family member.

The tone of the conversation changed after being told to send the $1,000.00 and the investigator was then told, in no uncertain terms, to go to the bank and get $2,500.00 or more, and call the suspect back at 206-497-9461 and ask for Daniel Jackson, giving the “winning ticket number of 357M”.  These instructions resembled orders, rather than information and guidance, and were meant to have the victim act before thinking or telling relatives or friends. The suspect told the investigator to bring back the receipt and he would be told how to finalize the transaction, however the method commonly used by suspects is to keep delaying the awarding of the prize, which is non-existent, and continually tack on more fees or costs, until the victim either runs out of money or realizes they have been scammed. The investigator and deputy who responded to the scene conferred and it appeared as if there was not anyone near the residence or who would physically go to the property, however the suspect contacting a local tow truck company and attempting to have him contact the victim, indicates a change in tactics by the scam artist, however Mr. Shew was conscientious and alert enough to immediately notify sheriff’s office personnel.

Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call, e-mail, contact, or mailing should immediately contact their local police department or the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator.  Residents are urged to not give out any personal, financial, or confidential information over the telephone, via e-mail, in person, or via mail to people or companies they are not familiar with or have not had satisfactory business deals with before.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310

Deputy R. Sandersfeld #9032