Bend Police report uptick in scams and online fraud attempts, urge caution, offer tips to avoid being a victim

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend Police said Tuesday they have noticed a recent uptick in calls reporting scams or fraud, and shared some tips to help you avoid becoming a victim. 

In just the past 30 days, Bend Police have received at least 28 calls related to scams and online fraud. 

Here are a few examples of recent scams they have learned about: 

• A Bend resident was directed to transfer approximately $25,000 into Bitcoin ATMs after receiving a message indicating her IP address had been hacked and a site was attempting to take the money from her bank account.
• A Bend resident received a call from someone purporting to be a Bend Police lieutenant, who claimed the victim had warrants and needed to transfer $9,000 to him. 
• A Bend resident received a call from someone purporting to be with Border Patrol, who claimed the person had ordered packages with drugs in them and needed to pay money to avoid being arrested. 

Other scams have included requests for Zelle transfers and gift cards. Some of these scammers have used the real names of local law enforcement officials. Others are creating email addresses that are just one letter or symbol different from the victim’s email address in order to impersonate them. 

Law enforcement and other federal agencies will never call or email you demanding money. They will never ask you to transfer money into Bitcoin or other online apps or ask you for gift cards. 

Never give personal information like a social security number or a bank account number over the phone or via email. A banking institution will not ask for these things. 

Trust your gut. If the caller is rushing you, making you feel uncomfortable, or you just think something is off, get off the phone and call the nonemergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911. 

Have you been the victim of a scam? You can file a complaint with the FBI at www.IC3.gov.