HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 09-09 Scammers swimdle Maplewood residents out of $180K STAR TRIBUNE9/19/2016
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Maplewood residents are swindled out of $180,000- StarTribune.com
EAST METRO
Stammers swindle Maplewood residents
out of $180K
Criminals used a variety of tactics to gain trust with or threaten five
separate victims
By Tim Harlow (http://www.startribune.com/tim-hadow/10644986/) Star Tribune
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 — 1:38PM
A Maplewood woman who responded to an online advertisement promising to fix her
computer was swindled out of more than $90,000. She was one of five victims who were
collectively scammed out of more than $180,000 during July and August in financial
exploitation cases that have police in the east metro city warning residents to be on
guard.
"Whether these cases represent a broader national trend or a random local uptick in
fraud case reporting, the result is equally disturbing," said Maplewood Police Chief Paul
Schnell. "In some instances, the victims lost nearly all their life savings as a result of
these scams."
The crooks used a variety of tactics and schemes to gain trust with the victims and
coerce them to comply with their demands, Schnell said.
In the case of the woman caught up in the computer scam, the victim paid a $249 service
fee, then was told that her computer was being hacked. The stammers told the woman
that someone had deposited money that did not belong to her into her bank account and
stammer more than $90,000. (HTTPS://USERS.STARTRIBUNE.COM/MEMBER_CENTER)
In another case, a victim was told she won a large sum of money in a Canadian lottery,
but had to pay processing fees before she could collect the winnings. The scammer told
her to surprise family members, so she didn't tell anybody until she had lost $28,000.
A third resident was taken for $7,000 in what's called the "Grandparent Scam." In that
p
scam, a caller pretending to be a grandchild or another family member claims they need
money immediately, often for a legal or medical emergency. The scammer tells the
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secret.
Maplewood City Hall Police Chief Paul Schnell
said, "In some instances, the victims lost nearly
Other cases involved a person going door to door collecting fees and promising to return
all their life savings as a result of these scams:'
later to do yard work or perform handyman services and a Nigerian charity scam in
which victims are tricked into sending money, computers and cellphones to an
international scammer. Victims lost $48,000, $28,000 and $6,250 respectively.
"Those committing these crimes develop a complex web of lies and deceit that make it
very difficult for victims to sort out the truth," said Maplewood Police Detective Ryan
Parker. "By the time victims understand what's occurred, they may feel embarrassed
that they were exploited financially."
Many times, the crimes go unreported because victims don't want others to know they
fell for a scam. And when they are reported, detectives have difficulty catching the
perpetrator and recovering the money because the crimes often cross state lines or are
carried out from overseas.
"It's easy to think a scam could never happen to us or those we care about, but it could,"
Schnell said. "We only hope that bringing these cases to public attention reminds us of
the wisdom of the old saying, `trust but verify."'
The Maplewood Police Department offered these tips to recognize scams:
• Don't send money to individuals outside the United States if you have not met them in
person
• Set social media privacy settings to limit information available to others
• Hang up on "robocalls"
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9/19/2016
Maplewood residents are swindled out of $180,000- StarTribune.com
• Don't trust caller ID; scammers make phone numbers look official
• Don't give out personal information or money without talking with somebody
trustworthy.
harlow@startribune.com 612-673-7768
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