Scammers posing as Craigslist buyers or as neighborhood residents soliciting door-to-door donations are among the latest apparently trying to prey on Fort Collins residents.
A senior citizen canceled her bank account last week after finding that $84 she'd given a "sweet-faced kid" wasn't purchasing books and magazines for hospitalized children. The young man, who knew details of the neighborhood and claimed to be a neighbor's grandson, was unknown to nearby residents.
Sgt. Don Whitson, with the Fort Collins police department financial crimes unit, is familiar with this type of scam. He almost fell for one a few years ago when a young man appeared at his door claiming to be a disabled neighbor needing money for baseball camp.
"A lot of people feel really silly when the fall for it, but you've got to keep in mind these guys are very well-trained and rehearsed, and they're making a lot of money doing it," he said.
He said at the time, he was "more vulnerable," and "fairly new" in dealing with financial crimes. He and the man had sat at his kitchen table, and as Whitson was preparing to write a check for about $75, he saw a magazine sales brochure on the man.
Whitson said often the scammers will be working for a legitimate sales company, but they quickly learn they can make more money with lies.
The senior citizen, who asked not to be identified because of safety concerns, said she and others are putting up signs banning solicitors. But she decided not to report the incident for fear of reprisal.
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