Several scams hitting area

Local law enforcement agencies have been receiving a rush of calls recently reporting scams, and are warning people to be cautious.

Havre Assistant Chief of Police Jason Barkus said this morning the Havre Police have mainly received calls reporting two scams, one involving the Internal Revenue Service and another involving a fake cashier’s check.

In the check scam, Barkus said, people receive notice they have won $125,000 but they need to send about $4,000 for a processing fee.

The scammers send an apparent check for the $4,000 processing fee, saying they will cover that fee. They tell the victim to deposit the cashier’s check and then send them a personal check for the fee.

The cashier’s check is fraudulent and, if deposited, will come back and the person will be out the amount they sent with the personal check — and they don’t receive $125,000.

Barkus said banks generally are good at catching the fake checks, but people need to be aware it is a fraudulent scheme.

“We just don’t want people to be a victim of those kinds of scams,” he said.

Another recent scam the police are hearing about has also been reported to the Hill County Sheriff’s Office,

Both Barkus and Undersheriff Stan Martin said their offices have received calls about an Internal Revenue Service scam.

In that scam, the caller tells the victim they owe past-due taxes and unless they pay, law enforcement will be sent to arrest them.

Martin said the fact that someone calls shows it is a scam.

“The federal government will not reach out to you by phone. They will mail you first,” he said.

He said the IRS website tells people how the agency will contact people.

“Calling … individuals by phone is not one of them,” he said.

He said the other scam mainly being reported to the Sheriff’s Office involves student loan relief, asking the victim to send money to get debt forgiveness.

Martin said people need to double check on any call like that.

“Never give up any money over the phone or bank accounts, credit cards,” he said.