One of two targets in a telephone scam was bilked of $848 Thursday morning by a bunco artist posing as a Phelps County deputy.
The victim who was swindled of the money was contacted at work by a man calling himself “Deputy Bill Porter.” Porter told the victim a coworker of hers had been involved in a car accident, was taken to the hospital, was subsequently released and was placed in jail on a charge of drunken driving. He also claimed he couldn’t disclose the name of the person who was arrested because it violated HIPAA regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
“Porter” told the victim he was allowed to respond with a “yes” or “no” answer to the name of the coworker who had been arrested, if the names of fellow employees were disclosed to him.
The victim asked whether it was her good friend and coworker, Alexandra (Allie) Kirn, and “Porter” said, yes, it was.
“Porter” then told the victim that Kirn’s bond was $800 and it would need to be received no later than Friday, or her friend would have to remain in jail throughout the weekend. The $800 could be sent to Kirn, in her name, by a Western Union money transfer to San Diego, Calif.
The victim wired the money, according to the detailed instructions she received from “Porter,” which also included a $48 fee for the transfer. Then she drove to the Phelps County Jail and waited for Kirn to be released. After waiting 45 minutes, she telephoned Kirn and discovered she was safe at home, had not been involved in an accident and had not been arrested.
The second of two similar complaints received by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department on the same day prompted action to warn others. The PCSD had received the first complaint from a resident who was contacted but did not wire the money that was requested for a bogus bond, and the department contacted the RDN.
Investigating Deputy Jarrod Brooks said both instances of the telephone scam happened Thursday morning, although the first scam attempt did not result in the loss of money. The victim reported the attempt but did not wire the bogus bond money that was requested.
“We do not call people to request bonds for people who’ve been arrested,” Brooks said. “Also, the jail does accept bonds on Saturday and Sunday.
“Do not fall victim to this scam. If anyone is not sure it’s an actual deputy who’s calling, call the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and verify whether the information is correct.”
Brooks said although no leads have yet developed, the case is under rigorous investigation. Presently, the department is seeking a subpoena to review Western Union’s data on the financial transaction involved in the scam.
Also, Brooks said, the telephone number of the scam artist or artists was blocked, so caller-I.D. information is not readily available.
