61°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

Don’t heed callers’ requests for money

Hello! It’s been a minute. While dispatcher Tina Ransom is taking some time off for R &R, I’d like to take this opportunity to mention some shady stuff going on.

It’s 2017. Everyone has a phone these days, either a hard-wired phone with a long extension cord, so you can walk around the room or you have a cellphone. My apologies, I digress. Back to the phone story or more precisely I should say “phone call, ring, ring.”

“Hello, Yes, this is he or she. What did you say? I can’t hear you. Oh! What? My son, daughter, niece, nephew — or any family or friend’s name you want to put in there — has been arrested.”

Now comes the meat and potatoes. The caller asked you to wire money for your loved one. The caller you are talking with has a very small amount of information about you. They may only have your phone number. But though some casual conversation, you give the caller your loved ones’ name. They use that to build a bond with you.

Next thing you know is you just wired $1,000 or $2,000 to this unknown caller. I’ve seen trusting people take over $10,000 out of their bank and hand it over to these evil doers.

Listen up! The IRS will not call you for money and your family member who’s on the other side of the country in jail is not going to have a third party call you for money.

Here’s a little tidbit. Phone scams are estimated to be a $9 billion industry annually. Please folks, when you use the phone and the caller requests money, do not give these individuals your Social Security number or bank information and do not send money.

Where does time go? Fall is upon us. Blessings to all in this great town. Thanks for riding along.

Officer Jeffrey Grasso has served with the Boulder City Police Department for more than 12 years. He previously served as a police officer in south Florida for four years.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Council tees up multiple pet issues

Long-running issues involving pets in Boulder City are about to heat up again as three resolutions were introduced at this Tuesday’s council meeting. Resolutions have to be introduced in a meeting prior to them being discussed or voted on. These resolutions are scheduled to be discussed and acted upon in the council’s Feb. 25 meeting.

City continues dark-sky initiative

When driving around town, some may have noticed that many of the city’s street lights have a different look to them.

Airport development readies for takeoff

The city council discussed and provided direction to city staff Tuesday on a plan to develop additional hangars at the Boulder City Municipal Airport as well as development of a larger area for multiple uses including additional hangars.

Downtown Disney

This past Saturday, more than 200 people donned their best Disney outfits for the monthly Wine Walk, hosted by the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. There were nearly two dozen downtown locations for attendees to stop for wine, including those pictured at the Boulder City Company Store, Beer Zombies and Hangar 502. Each walk has a theme, with the next being March 8 with the theme of Vegas Golden Knights.

Removed city gate causes concern

On Jan. 28, School Resource Officer Eric Prunty, who is assigned to BCHS by the Boulder City Police Department but also serves the three other public schools, contacted Garrett Junior High Principal Melanie Teemant regarding “a campus security issue.”

The bond between Boulder City and Searchlight

If you talk to the staff at Harry Reid Elementary School in Searchlight, you may hear them describe their campus as “the heart of the community” or “the jewel of the desert.”

Council gives lake-view lot to chamber

After a very short introduction by city staff and without discussion, the city council voted unanimously last week to give a 50-foot-square piece of city-owned land to the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

20-year lease extension up for vote

The gun club was not the only entity with lease extension business before the city council in their meeting last week.

Commercial zoning in Eldorado approved

The going-on-a-year-long process of adding four acres of land to Boulder City and approving it for commercial use is all over except the shouting as the city council voted unanimously and without discussion as part of the consent agenda to approve the changes to the city’s land use map as well as amending the zoning map to allow for future commercial development.

Out of this world: A look at Fisher Space Pen

In a popular episode of “Seinfeld,” appropriately entitled “The Pen,” Jerry and Elaine travel to Florida to see his parents. There, a neighbor, Jack Klompus, shows off a pen that the astronauts used in space because of its ability to still write, even when upside-down.