Casper Police Department Warns Businesses of Latest Phone Scam
Casper Police are warning businesses about a known scam re-emerging within the community.
Officers have recently responded to and investigated reports of scams within the Casper business community. This particular scam is known to law enforcement and has made recent appearances. The scam targets business employees. Here’s how it works:
- The scammer will call the business and state that they are from a corporate office. Often times, they will ask if a manager is present.
- If the manager is not present, the scammer will tell the employee the call is in reference to a compliance survey, compliance test, counterfeit test, or some other official in nature act.
- The scammer then tells the employee to remove money from the business, most times from a register, and purchase a gift card from a different establishment. Once purchased, the scammer will tell the employee to provide the code on the gift card over the phone. In other cases, the scammer will request a wire transfer from the employee.
- The employee is often told to keep the transaction a secret as to not compromise the integrity of the test.
If you are a business owner, manager or employee, please take steps to protect yourself and your business.
Casper Police Detective Shannon Daley stated:
Never purchase gift cards, provide gift card numbers, or wire money to someone you do not know. No matter how official they sound. If you are ever solicited to participate in this type of ‘test’, ask the person on the other end of the line to provide you with their name and contact information. Then, advise them that your manager will be in touch. Contact your manager before providing any additional information.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers like to get money by wire transfer. In 2018, $423 million was lost. Gift cards also saw a massive spike with a 95% increase in dollars paid to scammers last year.
If you or your business are a victim of this scam, please contact the Casper Police Department. You are also encouraged to take time to submit the complaint through the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.
The Casper Police Department is dedicated to the protection and safety of the community through the highest standards of professionalism in police services.