"It's becoming an epidemic," said Williston Police Det. Tom Ladwig. "We used to get about half a dozen complaints a year. Now, we're getting calls weekly."
The elderly are often vulnerable targets of such schemes. Yet, just about anybody can be taken.
A common swindle being attempted is the so-called "Canadian lottery" phone call.
"One woman sent $9,000 to collect," said Det. Jeff Fender. "We've had two or three reports of this," Ladwig noted.
"She did send the money. In both cases, the family got the money orders stopped. They were lucky to get it stopped," Fender said.
"If you are notified you have won the lottery, you won't have to pay anything," Ladwig stressed. He said the Internal Revenue Service will take tax money upfront or the individual would pay taxes later.
This scam originates on the telephone. One victim was even told her deceased husband had won the lottery and the only way to collect was to send cash.
Seniors are not the only ones susceptible to a scam. Some con artists take their time, as one Williston businessman discovered.
He and what he thought was a sincere female friend chatted on the Internet for a period of six months. When "she" notified him "she" was working overseas and needed him to cash a check and send to a Nigeria address, the man complied. He cashed the $3,500 cashier check and passed it on via Western Union.
"Within a week, he discovered he owed the local bank $3,500 because the check was fraudulent," Fender said. To send that large amount of money costs the victim another $200.
Fender said it is easy for con artists to misrepresent themselves over the Internet. "They can send anyone's picture. You might think you're e-mailing a 29-year-old blonde and you're talking to a 50-year-old, 300 pound man from Nigeria. They could have several of these scams going at one time."
Those behind the cons want money orders and cashier checks. "They want their money guaranteed," Fender explained.
"If someone sends you a check, hang onto to it until you know the check is good, or have your bank check," Ladwig said.
Be particularly wary if the caller or your person of contact attempts to rush you, saying the payment must be made now.
"Beware, if it's coming out of Nigeria," said Williston Police Det. Mark Hanson.
Ladwig said there is likely no way to be compensated for lost money because the United States has no treaties with Nigeria, and scams are a frequent money maker there.
An even more devious Internet scheme involves somebody selling a large-ticket item like a vehicle through ebay. An unsuspecting seller can easily get taken when a supposed buyer overbids, sends a phony check and picks the car up immediately. The check is found to be no good, the seller is out thousands of dollars and the item up for sale disappears with it.
Confirm a check is valid before cashing it in, advised Ladwig.
Hanson said a new scheme involves using local residents to send merchandise off to Nigeria.
"These items are purchased through fraudulently obtained or stolen credit cards," Hanson said. "They want the items shipped to a U.S. address and then want it shipped on to Nigeria." There is the possibility the unsuspecting victim could be charged with possession of stolen property.
Fender said not to make any major transactions with somebody who contacts you that you do not know.
"Be highly suspicious of someone who wants to do business with you on a chat room on the Internet," Ladwig said. "A legitimate business does not do business on a chat room ... Do not give personal information on the chat room on the Internet."
He said the Internet is a good place to order something when you initiate the call. However, the risk comes when doing business with unsolicited e-mails with a person you met on the chat room.
"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Hanson said.
Ladwig said there has been a stream of angry callers who are frustrated about being taken. "There is not much we can do. The perpetrators can be from anywhere in the world ... Federal agencies are swamped with this."
The best prevention is common sense. "Have a family member check it out, before you send any money," Ladwig advised.
If you feel you have been a victim of one of these schemes or been contacted and want to confirm the legitimacy of an offer, call the Consumer Fraud Division of North Dakota Attorney General's Office at 1-800-472-2600.
Area residents also have been affected by a recent Social Security fraud scheme. "All we heard was, they asked somebody from Williston to come to a Minot apartment to discuss an elderly person's retirement," Fender said. "We have a Social Security office in Williston."
According to an Associated Press report, perpetrators of this fraud are using people posing as agency employees in an effort to obtain personal information. One caller claimed that due to power outages, they needed to verify the recipient's information. Social Security on-hold recordings also were used.
People who may have been victims of this scheme or who were contacted, are asked to call a hotline at 1-800-269-0271.
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