Yakima Times

Last week Officer Margheim responded to a fraud compliant in the City of Ellensburg. Officer Margheim spoke with an elderly victim who believed they had been a victim of fraud. The victim stated they had received a phone call from someone pretending to be with the Federal Trade Commission. After a couple of days and likely over 100 phone calls, the suspect persuaded the victim to mail them a cashier’s check for almost $100,000 #ScammersSuck. While speaking with the victim, Officer Margheim learned the victim had just dropped the check off at a FedEx location to be mailed #WeHaveAChance. The victim thankfully had the tracking number and receipt for the envelope they had sent. Officer Margheim immediately sent the victim to their bank to put a hold on the check, while she headed to the FedEx drop location #WithHerFingersCrossed. When Officer Margheim got to the FedEx store, the employee told her the mail had been picked up less than 10 minutes ago #AreYouKiddingMe.  Officer Margheim was told the mail was picked up in a FedEx van #NotTheFedExBreadTruck. Officer Margheim was also told where the next FedEx pick-up location was. Officer Margheim hustled to the next possible FedEx location but while driving there, happen to pass a FedEx van going the opposite direction #NoWay. Officer Margheim made a quick U-turn and thanks to a red light, she caught up to the van #HeckYesPleaseBeTheRightVan. Officer Margheim ran up to the van

#YesRanOnFootMaybeOnMainSt and asked the driver if he would stop and talk to her since someone’s life savings, like almost $100,000 was in an envelope in his van. Thankfully, the FedEx driver agreed to stop at the next parking lot, most likely because Officer Margheim sounded a bit crazy #ItDoesSoundCrazy. Officer Margheim then met the FedEx van at the next parking lot. Thanks to the tracking information, the envelope with the victim’s $100,000 cashier’s check was found in that FedEx van #WhatWereTheChances. The FedEx driver, after hearing the complete report of how an elderly victim had been scammed, gave the envelope to Officer Margheim. Officer Margheim then hand delivered the envelope with the cashier’s check back to the victim. #Honestly at that moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  #FightingFraud

While this incident has a very happy ending and thankfully the victim’s money was recovered, not all situations, in fact most situations go very different. We want to remind everyone that these “people” that call and say they need, want, or that you won money, are just trying to steal your hard-earned dollars. These scammers are sophisticated and have a lot of information to make you believe they are real. If you ever find yourself in situation where someone you have only met on the phone or internet asks you for money, please call us at 509-962-7280 before you send any money or gift cards. And finally, we are not going to call you to tell you have an arrest warrant and the only way out is if you pay us #ThatIsAScam #BeVigilantEllensburg

Original source can be found here.