Money Wiring Scam Reported in Hopatcong

DATE: 08/18/14                CASE: 14-09184

TIME: 10:17

WHERE IT HAPPENED: Hopatcong

OFFICER (S) INVESTIGATING:Ptl. Kern

ANY OTHER INFORMATION: On July 10^th a senior citizen in Hopatcong received a call that he thought was his neighbor.  The male told him he was arrested in Las Vegas for DWI and needed $1,320.00 for bail.  The caller kept calling the victim Grandpa.  The caller told the victim not to tell anyone and hung up.  Then the phone rang again and it was a male claiming to be the public defender “Jimmy Scott Smith”  who was at the court house.  He told the victim to wire the money to Julio Sosa Martinez in the Dominican Republic to avoid  excessive taxes.  The victim felt obligated to help his neighbor.  The victim’s wife wired the money from the Rite Aid in Hopatcong through Western Union.  When the neighbor never said anything to them they became suspicious and looked up the phone number. Then they found it was a scam.

I know when you read this you saw all the clues that this was a scam. I have read your comments in past posts of “How could anyone fall for this?”   However we have two people here who fell for this. Look at how many times I am posting these scams where our neighbors and family members are falling victim to these criminals. Your grandparents may be next.  This has got to stop. 

Many heads are better than mine here. We have well over 5,000 people that follow this page. That is a lot of ideas and voices.   I am brainstorming but what if we could get employees of Rite aid and other stores to hand out some pamphlet that lists all the common scams to anyone sending money through Western Union or through the Green Dot Money Pak. Imagine if there was a big sign hanging over where you are about to pay at Rite Aid (for Hopatcong) or Walmart that lists the common scams. A victim might look up and say “Hey that is exactly what this guy is asking me to do. Maybe I am being scammed.” 

Yes Rite Aid is a big corporation but we know the employees by name.  This is Hopatcong. I am sure if the corporation would allow it, the employees could be trained to say something like.  “I just have to tell you about the many scams where people are trying to get your money”.  Then give them or show them the list.  Such as:

Lottery scam where you only have to send money for taxes to get the big prize, The rich Uncle in Nigeria who died and you just have to send tax money to get his inheritance, The grandson who is arrested and needs bail money, The beautiful woman who wants to marry you from another country. The “Lender” who wants you send a Green Dot Money Pak to pay for services. The “IRS Agent” who wants the Green Dot Money Pak or you are going to jail. And on and on.

Anyone have any ideas?  Any Political people out there that can start something? Maybe I am just so fed up and blowing off steam. But I see this as preventable.  It is just that the victim is in the wrong state of mind when they are scammed. A little wake up information before they make that purchase might help  What do you think? 

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