More scams hit residents

COLFAX – The Colfax Police Department has dealt with some new scam angles in the past weeks, these related to Amazon purchases.

In one case, a person received an email notification an item was being shipped. At the bottom of the email was "P.S." in bold font, then advising the victim to contact the fraud department if they did not order the item. Interim Chief Bruce Blood noted the P.S. is "unorthodox" and not something Amazon would typically include in correspondents.

The victim is then "reimbursed" for the item, but the amount in the follow-up email is double the item cost. When the victim attempts to correct the error, the scammers attempt to gain account information or control of the victim's computer. After one local victim realized the scammers had control of his computer, he severed the connection by turing off the power, according to Chief Blood.

Another Amazon-related scam involves the scammer posing as an Amazon employee calling about insufficient funds on a false order. The victim is told they must cover the insufficient funds with an Amazon gift card.

"The big clue is when they ask you to get a gift card to reimburse them," Chief Blood said.

The Colfax Police Department has no computer fraud department; fraud cases are documented and the fraud victim directed in the steps to take including freezing their credit and contacting credit tracking companies.

When it comes to scammers hooking people, Chief Blood advised, "If it sounds too good to be true, generally it is."