Telephone scams emerge in local area

The Waukon Police Department has reported a recent rash of attempts to “scam” local residents. In the most common scam, the victim is contacted by telephone by someone claiming to be a relative who is in some kind of legal trouble in a foreign country. The scammer asks the victim to send money via Western Union to pay a lawyer or pay their bail. There are many different variations, but the common theme is a request for a wire transfer of cash.
Assistant Police Chief Phil Young said that such scams are easily avoided if victims take the time to verify the story they’ve been told before sending the money. Once the money has been sent, Young said it is virtually impossible to recover. He advises everyone to be suspicious of requests for money and advises anyone who receives such a call to contact local law enforcement.