If it sounds to be good to be true………………………….

Oskaloosa Police Department

We all know the rest of that sentence and the unfortunate reality that comes with being duped by someone offering something that was truly too good to be true. Weekly, countless people throughout the country fall victim to a variety of scams and schemes designed to take their money. Often this parting with their hard earned money did not have to happen if they had taken the time to better assess the offer and weed out that which is fraudulent.

The Oskaloosa Police Department would like to remind citizens to thoroughly investigate all circumstances where someone wants you to send them money. Listed below are two “scams” that have been recently reported:

The first is a “check cashing” scam: You receive a letter accompanied with a check asking you to cash the check. Once the check is cashed, you are to send a majority of the money to the “scammer” and you may keep a small portion of the money for your time and service. In some cases, you receive a phone call first telling you, you will be receiving a check and instructions on what to do with the money. A few days later, you are notified by your bank the check was fraudulent and you are now responsible for the balance of the check. Never cash a check you are not expecting or question to be valid. If you are not sure about the validity of the check, you may take the check to your bank for assistance.

The second is a “grandparent” scam: In this “scam” the elderly are usually targeted. A frantic caller tries to convince you they’re a relative and there has been some type of an emergency or accident that has landed them in jail or the hospital. They tell you they need you to wire money immediately. No matter how bad it sounds, take time to verify the likely phony story. Ask personal questions that only your loved one would know. Try to contact other family members, a close friend or even law enforcement to help check out the story.

Wiring money can be like leaving an envelope of cash on a table. Once you send money and someone picks it up, you can’t get it back. Recipients can almost always pick up the cash at multiple locations in foreign countries, making it very difficult, if not impossible to trace.

If you wired money and fear or know you’ve been scammed, contact the wire transfer company immediately to report it. Unfortunately, it may be too late to stop or reverse the money transfer, but it is worth every effort. You should also file a police report and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. You can also file a complaint with the Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division.