Theft by Deception

DATE & TIME: 07-08-2021 @ 1330

LOCATION: Rural Beatrice

OFFENSE: Theft by Deception

CASE #: 2021-2669

A resident of rural Beatrice contacted the Gage County Sheriff’s Office on July 9, 2021 to report that on the previous day she had received an e-mail from what she believed to be the Amazon shipping company informing her a purchase had been made on her Amazon account. When she called to inquire further, she was misled to believe there was an ongoing identity theft case and the suspects were actually helping her.

She purchased a $500.00 gift card at a store in Beatrice and then went to Lincoln where she purchased $2,500.00 more in gift cards and provided the redemption information to the suspect, described as a male with a Middle Eastern accent. He managed to keep her on the phone during the entire event. When she arrived home, she realized the suspects were not from Amazon and she had been defrauded out of $3,000.00. She is working with the companies who sold her the gift cards to retrieve her funds.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to be wary and alert about fraud and scams.  Solicitation of a gift card should be a red flag, i.e., is an indicator of a fraudulent act is involved in any business. The suspects can transfer the money from gift card to gift card and the funds can be out of the country within a matter of minutes. If someone is advising you to purchase a gift card, be cognizant that this is most likely a scam, as payment outside of normal business routines are hard to track and ripe with the opportunity for fraud and theft.

Do not be pressured or act impulsively when making any kind of transaction. If you believe you are becoming the victim of fraud, call Southeast Communications at 402-223-4080 and ask for a police officer to be dispatched or ask to speak with an investigator from the Gage County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Sergeant T. Hanson #90310