Crime & Safety

Norfolk Police Department Warns Residents of Western Union Scam

Area residents are being alerted by Norfolk Police Department to a scam using Western Union.

Some area departments are experiencing incidents of a scheme to extort money from victims by Western Union. In recent incidents, a male with a Hispanic accent told the victim that a family member had crashed a vehicle in front of their house they were holding the family member hostage. The victim was told to wire funds via Western Union to a location in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. The victim was kept on the phone for over three hours and told if they hung up or contacted law enforcement, their relative would be shot.

“This is a different twist on an old scheme that we have not seen for a while,” said Detective Fletcher in a press release. “The suspects tend to prey on the elderly, so please pass this along to your elderly family members and neighbors.”

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