Scams emerge in DMC area: Thousands of dollars stolen from victims.

Nov 07, 2008 (The Hawk Eye - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WU | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Several scams have surfaced recently in the Des Moines County area, and the sheriff's department is sending out precaution warnings.

One scam involves a so-called secret or mystery shopper employment opportunity. Authorities say the elderly, retired and sometimes the jobless are targeted.

Sheriff's detectives said the scam works much like a job-recruiting tool in which a person is supposedly "hired" to become a detective-type shopper evaluating Western Union money transfer services.

The con is launched when the supposed employee gets a packet in the mail from an "employer." Inside the packet are evaluation forms needed to do the job along with a check, usually in excess of $4,000.

The secret shopper is asked to deposit the check in his or her bank account, withdraw the same amount in cash and wire the money to an overseas address. That way, the mystery shopper will be able to "evaluate" how Western Union handles the money.

The evaluator soon discovers the employer's check is fraudulent, and the victim is left without thousands of dollars of their own money.

Another scam deals with someone getting a packet in the mail stating the resident has just won more than half a million dollars.

The envelope contains a check supposedly to pay for a Canadian tax. The unsuspecting resident then is instructed to deposit the check and take cash out to cover the tax, again wiring the money to an overseas address.

According to the instructions, once the Canadian responsibility is paid, the $500,000 will be mailed.

The scam is similar to the famous Nigerian scam, where a person would be contacted either by telephone, e-mail or letter claiming they have won a substantial amount of money.

The caller then instructs the victim to cash the check they will send, then send the money back to them to cover certain transfer fees.

Con artists also could be "phishing" for personal information in the furtherance of identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, certain precautions can minimize the risk of being victimized by identity thieves. You can begin by managing your personal information cautiously.

Such measures include:

* Always ask why before revealing any personal identifying information to anyone;

* Pay attention to credit card billing cycles;

* As much as possible, deposit all outgoing mail in post office collection boxes;

* Do not give personal information over the phone; and

* Only give out your Social Security number when absolutely necessary.

And, most of all, the old saying still holds: "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

So far, one Des Moines County resident has fallen victim to one of the scams, losing thousands of dollars in cash.

To report suspicious mailings, e-mails or phone calls, call (319) 753-8212 if living in the county or (319) 753-8366 in the city.

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