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Gift Card / Warrant Scam

DATE & TIME: 01-27-2021 @ 8:30 am

LOCATION: Adams, Nebraska

OFFENSE: Gift Card / Warrant Scam

CASE #: 2021-0343

On Wednesday, January 27, 2021 a resident of Adams, Nebraska answered a phone call from a number she thought she recognized, however a male with a Hispanic accent told her he was “Officer Henderson” from the Federal Investigations. He attempted to gammon her into believing her name and information had been money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities and a warrant had been issued for her arrest. At the time, she was caught unaware and, due to a previous legitimate incident where her personal information had been compromised, she was affrighted into believing him.

He told her he was from Omaha, Nebraska and had a “badge number”. The suspect then told her he needed to confirm who he was talking with and asked her for the last four numbers of her social security number. The suspect then switched tactics and told her he could help and told her to move monies between her accounts, otherwise they would have to “freeze” her account. She complied with that request, possibly inadvertently giving the suspect the name of her bank.

In a standard effort to intimidate her and keep her from checking with family, friends, or local law enforcement, he told her she could not hang up. He then directed her to go to the local Dollar General Store and purchase $1,000.00 in Nike gift cards. He had sufficiently disoriented and gammoned her into believing she would be arrested if she hung up or spoke to anyone about what she was doing.

Fortunately for her, the store Manager at the Dollar General in Adams has been trained in spotting fraud and attempted to find out if she knew the person she was talking to on the phone. The store manager was alerted by several “red flags”: 1.The victim was crying or tearful. 2. She was attempting to purchase large amounts of gift cards. 3. The victim appeared unwilling to get off the cellphone and appeared to be taking direction from the person on the phone.

Thinking quickly, the store manager communicated via missives with the victim, writing notes back and forth until she was sure the victim was being scammed. At approximately 9:15 am, she was able to convince the victim to hang up with the suspect, who had led the victim to believe that during the 45-minute conversation, if she hung up, she would be arrested.

The victim states she did not lose any money, but she was urged to take proactive steps such as reporting a possible compromise of her personal and financial information to the cred reporting agencies, to contact her bank for fraud protection, checking her mail in the future for fraudulent accounts opened in her name, and to consider reporting the incident to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, which also provides additional resources for victims. The online link to the Federal Trade Commission can be accessed via a link on the Gage County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.gagecountysheriff.us/fraud The Gage County Sheriff’s Office cautions residents to be aware of scams and fraud in all their various forms:  Over the telephone; Online; via mail; in person. Warning signs are phone calls from unknown numbers, being pressured and told to keep the situation secret, being threatened with arrest by a federal agency, asking for payment via a non-traditional business method, such as purchasing gift cards to pay for a debt or cancel a warrant, or being asked to give personal, confidential, or financial information to the suspect.

If you suspect someone is targeting you as part of a scam or fraud, remain calm, do not make hasty decisions, and seek the advice of a family member, trusted friend, professional financial adviser such as a banker or accountant, or call your local police department or call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310

 

 

 

 

 

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

 

 

Investigator T. Hanson #90310