Features, Meeker

Phone scam costs local woman thousands

MEEKER | A Meeker woman fell victim to a phone scam last Monday and lost several thousand dollars. She received a call stating she was due for a “rebate” on computer tech and was that to receive the money, they needed a bank account number. She then received a second call saying there had been a mistake and they needed a different bank account number. She reported losing close to $3,000 as a result of the scam, and called the HT so other residents could be warned.

Anyone who thinks they may have been caught in a scam should contact law enforcement. Although the likelihood of solving these kinds of cases is slim, the Sheriff’s Office will pursue the investigation.

“Television has portrayed that law enforcement can solve nearly any case regardless of the circumstances at hand. In all reality frauds such as the one mentioned above and the one you described generally have a low level of solvability,” Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Muxlow said via email. “Unfortunately, when the information comes back it is often a fake name, with fake account information which results in an unsolved case, or a cold case that eventually expires based on the statute of limitations.”

Frauds and scams are being perpetuated via the telephone, email and social media, and scammers have developed new ways to prey on their victims, such as using fake telephone numbers with a 970-878- prefix, or hacking Facebook accounts.

“The number one way to avoid scams is awareness to scams,” said Muxlow via email. “If a person has even the slightest inclination that the situation doesn’t seem right, it’s usually because it isn’t.”

“Most recently a member of our community had been approached through Facebook by a lifelong friend (who is also a member of our community).  Our victim was told that her help was sought in a grant process.  Our victim was then asked to purchase Google Cards and ITunes cards.  Once the cards were purchased the victim was to take photographs of the bar codes and send them to the suspect.  As you may have guessed the victims lifelong friend had been hacked by a scammer and the destination of those funds remains a mystery,” Muxlow said.

Meeker Police Chief Phil Stubblefield said his department gets calls every week from citizens about different scams, adding that he gets at least two scam calls a day on his own phone. “Cell and phone companies could do more to block and stop these calls,” he said via email. “I wish we could do more.”

What steps should you take if you think you’ve been scammed (after contacting local law enforcement)?

If there is any question that a scammer has obtained credit or debit card numbers, bank routing numbers or other banking information, call your financial institution immediately to place a hold on all account information. “Nearly all banks now have a fraud department.  When the banks fraud department gets involved the victim has a much better chance of recovering those funds, most of the time,” Muxlow said.

Change your online passwords, and change them often. For password maintenance tips, visit https://www.theheraldtimes.com/protecting-yourself-on-the-internet-the-basics-of-password-maintenance/rio-blanco-county/

Most scams result in identity theft. Run a credit check on yourself at least once every six months to see if your identity has been compromised. If you find yourself a victim of identity theft, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov), who can assist you in resolving identify theft issues.

By Niki Turner | [email protected]

One Comment

  1. I got the same phone call. I just hung up on them and blocked their number. But they were very aggressive. They called back from a different number twice a day for a week.

Come say hi!

@ht.1885
  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
12 hours ago
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
19 hours ago
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3 days ago
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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View on Instagram |
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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