Wisconsin Resident Scammed Out Of $18,000
We are no strangers to scams at this point. There are always a bunch going around but this one takes things to the next level.
A few months back, several similar utility scams were reported across Minnesota. All of them had very similar qualities and tactics and were reported in a handful of spots across Minnesota.
In January, the Duluth Police Department warned locals about a scam as well. The scam was a phone scam, where the person on the other end of the line pretended to be an officer with the department. The scammer requests money via Venmo or threatens to arrest the victim.
Even local businesses have been hit with scams over the years. A brand-new pizzeria in Superior was hit with a Facebook scam late last year. Someone made a fake profile and added customers to ask for their credit card information.
Now, residents of a Wisconsin town have been hit with a scam with one resident in particular being conned out of nearly twenty-thousand dollars. This all took place in Neenah, Wisconsin. While this is about five hours from the Twin Ports, it is very possible a scam like this would spread to other parts of the state.
The City Of Neenah, Wisconsin Police Department warned residents about the scam in a recent Facebook post. They shared details about it on Friday (May 6th) and it seems like this scammer took it to another level.
According to their post, an elderly person was the target. The scammer called them and pretended to be their granddaughter. The scammer said that the granddaughter was involved in a traffic accident and needed money to be bailed out of jail to the tune of eighteen-thousand dollars.
The elderly victim went and got the amount in cash and gave the scammer their address so they could come collect the bail money. That the scammer did, posing as a man named Jacob Robertson. The scammer was wearing a dark jacket, pants and sunglasses. He was driving a small blue vehicle and was young.
This is an especially scary scam as it involves face-to-face contact with the scammer and the scammer knowing your address and coming to your home. Note that if you or someone you know needs bail or bond money, nobody will ever come to your house to collect it.
This is a good time to review common practices and speak to the elderly in your life. As sad as it is, they are prime targets for scammers. This is a sad example of that. Let's hope karma hits this scammer soon.