Fake News, Scams, Fraud: Whatever You Call It Fort Dodge Police Say It’s Best to Report It

Facebook is a place for people to check up on friends and share pictures and even buy items from time to time on the marketplace. Recently many of the postings have not been legitimate. 

Last week Alpha Media covered the story of a rental housing scam and we contacted the Fort Dodge Police Department to check on whether that is something they had heard about.

According to Captain Dennis Quinn with the Fort Dodge Police Department says they don’t get many reports of online fraud, most reported scams come to them in the form of threatening phone calls to unsuspecting people.

In those cases, the purpose is clear. A person on the phone pretends to be a member of the IRS or police department and urges the victim to send money.

Captain Quinn says a police officer will never call a person to solicit money for fines and he urges anyone who gets a phone call like that to report it.

In the past 12 months there have been 33 reported scam cases to the FDPD. 

Facebook or online fraud practices are a little different and Captain Quinn says he isn’t sure what the purpose of misleading people by sharing a false kidnapping or some other far fetched tale, but he says it is best not to share and to just avoid the posting for your own safety.