The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/229839
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 18, 2013 A new scam has hit the local area It seems as quickly as you hear about one scam it disappears and another one starts. The latest scam that is circulating involves an individual claiming to be from a law enforcement agency. "The scammer typically threatens to arrest the victim if they don't pay the fines for some fabricated crime or debt. To make matters worse, the crooks often have some personal information about the victim, which make them seem more legitimate," states an Indiana State Police news release. Recently, the state police have received complaints about this scam. A state police detective investigating the complaint turned the tables on the scammer and called him. The man claiming to work for the Indiana State Police didn't answer, so the detective left a message and the man called back. The scammer proceeded to tell the de- tective that he had a warrant for his arrest. He explained that in order to take care of it and avoid being arrested at work the detective would need to buy two green dot money packs for $1,000 and then call him back with the account number. The conversation that lasted more than 30 minutes eventually ended after the scammer was fully convinced that he was talking to the police. "The investigation in this case is ongoing but more than likely it will turn into a dead end," commented Sgt. Trent Smith. In this scam case, as with most of them, the calls are originating from cell phones all over the country and tracking down the 21st century con artist is no easy task. Indiana State Police said, "A well informed public is the best defense in combating scammers." They also said an influx in this type of crime is often seen during the holiday season." Students rewarded for perfect attendance A-5 Petersburg Elementarty School students picked prizes off a cart for monthly perfect attendance. These students from Candy Meyer's room chose to get disguises. Pictured are: Alex Edrington, Isaac Theising, school social worker Natalie Pryor, Jaize Mills, Kayla Gladish and Addison Faulk.