Flathead law enforcement fights fraud

Anonymous emails offering lottery winnings and online ads for dream houses at dream prices have been changing the lives of Flathead Valley residents, but almost never in the way they hope.

Internet scams and identity theft have been consistently costing people hundreds and thousands of dollars, drawing them in with promises and offers that are almost too good to pass up.

Kalispell Police Investigations Capt. Doug Overman said the department gets a consistent inflow of calls concerning these issues, but by the time someone has given money or information, it’s usually too late to act.

Internet scams often originate overseas, making it very difficult for local law enforcement to prosecute the perpetrators and making it next to impossible to restore the lost money and property stolen from the victims.

According to Overman, there are ways to spot and prevent fraud.

“My best advice to anyone,” Overman said, “is if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Several of the scams Overman sees come from Craigslist, where people advertise services or property they do not actually own or provide. These scams usually begin with an offer that sounds great: free purebred puppies or a rental apartment way below market price.

Once the scammer has a potential victim hooked, they usually ask for some type of processing fee, application fee, down payment or other payment before delivering on the offer.

According to Overman, the safest way to conduct business through Craigslist is in person. If the person is unwilling to meet in person, Overman said, do not interact with them.

SGT. MYRON Wilson of the Kalispell Police Department has been hosting presentations on fraud and identity theft two or three times a year for about three years to help teach citizens how to better protect themselves from these threats.

One of the biggest local issues Wilson said he has seen on the rise is mail theft.

According to Wilson, thieves will go through individual mailboxes looking for bills or checks that they can alter or copy or documents with personal information they can sell or use to steal someone’s identity.

Though all local crimes are investigated, by the time someone learns they’re a victim of fraud, Wilson said it is very difficult and sometimes impossible to prosecute.

Wilson said he encourages people to keep an eye on their banking statements and check credit history often to prevent unauthorized accounts and spending in their name.

He also encourages people to get a post office box and to take bills and checks to the post office, so that no important information or money is going through curbside mail where it’s most vulnerable.

THOUGH ALMOST anyone can be affected by Craigslist fraud or mail theft, a different kind of scam tends to target senior citizens.

Phishing scams attempt to collect personal information or payment using blind emails or phone calls. Contact information could be generated randomly or can sometimes be obtained from sources selling it online.

For the unsuspecting victim, a surprise inheritance or claims of a loved one in trouble prompt some people to hand over credit card information, dates of birth, addresses and even Social Security numbers.

Giving out this information puts people at risk for identity theft and other threats, but Overman said that the promise of financial stability or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity can be too tempting for some.

“People want to buy that,” Overman said, “but I haven’t ever seen it be true.”

The Kalispell Police Department has published resources and information on its website to help identify and report scams when they occur.

For more information on protecting against these scams or to sign up for scam alerts, visit http://www.kalispell.com/police/protecting_yourself.php or call Montana Consumer Protection at 1-800-481-6896.

To report a potential scam, contact the Better Business Bureau or go to https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx to file a complaint with the FBI.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.