CPPD warns of costly scam
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, June 1st, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place Police Department reports a local resident was the victim of a recent scam from a caller who ultimately said he was a drug dealer who had the victim’s loved one hostage and would only free the close relative if a certain amount of money was paid.
The victim was told she had to stay on the line until t he process was complete. She wired several large sums of money to accounts that are not in the United States while still on the phone with the so-called kidnapper. The caller threatened violence to the relative if the victim were to hang up the phone at any point. The call lasted several hours.
“After ending the call, the victim quickly called her loved one and discovered that she had just been the victim of a scam,” Public Information Officer Dylan Schmick wrote. “The victim wished to have her story shared in an effort to help prevent others from going through the same ordeal.”
CPPD suggests anyone on the receiving end of such a call who is afraid to hang up, could find someone nearby and ask them to call the police. People could also put their phone on speaker and, while continuing to keep the line open, text 911 or the loved one in question.
Schmick states that scam artists can be crafty, but if there is a suspicion about a call being a scam, it probably is.
