Scam Losses In Gillette Exceed $100,000 in 2012

The Gillette Police Department wants to bring awareness to the community regarding various scams. Though these scams are nothing new, the police department has been seeing a large increase in reports of people sending unknown people or organizations money. This year alone losses exceed over $100,000! Citizens are often told they have won prizes, the lottery or various sums of cash but can only receive the winnings after sending money for various types of fees, expenses or processing fees.

Citizens must be aware these are illegal scams.  DO NOT, under any circumstance, send people or organizations money unless you personally know them or they have a credible history of conducting business.  These crimes are nearly impossible to successfully investigate due to various issues which include jurisdictional boundaries, dead end leads and the fact many of these thieves are located out of the country.

Citizens also become victims of scams when they send deposits for items purchased from online classified ads such as Craig's List. Be very cautious if any item you wish to purchase seems priced well below typical market values. Be hesitant to send deposits or handling fees on these items without first exhausting efforts to verify the credibility of the seller.

For more information contact the Gillette Police Department at (307) 682-5155