Fort Morgan Business Victim of Wire Fraud

A Fort Morgan business trying to collect payment for services they provided was taken advantage of a second time when they became the victim of a fraudulent out-of-state collection agency. The local company had supplied services to a business located near the Denver Metro area and did not receive payment for the work they performed. They contacted an out-of-state collection agency in an attempt to recover payment for the services. The fraudulent collection agency requested payment up front and told the victim to send the money by wire, followed by a request for a check in the same amount. The victim confirmed that the wired money had been received and wisely refused to send a check. The local business never received any payment or assistance from the fraudulent collection company. When they attempted to contact them, the phone had been disconnected and authorities found the business address was not a legitimate location. This is one of several recent reports the Fort Morgan Police have received where criminals use a wire transfer service to defraud their victims. Residents should use extreme caution when wiring money. Money that is stolen through a wire fraud scheme is difficult to recover and victims are often left with nothing to show for their payment. If you think you have been a victim of a fraud or theft, call the Fort Morgan Police Department at 867-5678 or if you or anyone has information on this or other crimes is asked to call the Fort Morgan Police Department at 867-5678, call CRIMESTOPPERS at (970) 542-3411, or submit your tip online and remain anonymous.

Police Remind Online Shoppers To Be Careful

Fort Morgan Police are reminding residents to be careful about online purchases, especially when requested to wire money to an unfamiliar location. Earlier this month, police were called to a report of a wire fraud where a local resident lost $2,800 in a scam that is common online and uses a third party escrow account. The victim in this case was attempting to purchasing a vehicle from out of state and was instructed to use what they thought was a familiar escrow service. They were told to wire the funds to the escrow company and the company would hold the money until the vehicle arrived and the purchase was approved by the buyer. Unfortunately, the information given was false and the victim was duped into wiring money to a phony account. The thief retrieved the wired currency and the victim lost a substantial amount of money. Con-artists use familiar sounding company names or websites like E-bay or Pay-pal to lure their victims into believing the deal is legitimate. Unfortunately, once money is wired, the thief can collect it with little chance of being caught. Police suggest when making an online purchase to verify escrow account websites yourself, don’t assume a website suggested by the seller is legitimate. Never give banking account information to a seller for a direct money transfer and use extreme caution when you are being asked to wire money for a purchase before you have received the merchandise.