***  ATTENTION   ***

"BUY A TV" SCAM                 (12-10-12)
      "I have several extra flat screen TVs that I acquired at a
local store, and I will sell one to you for the SPECIAL price of $45."
Too good to be true? Definitely. Undoubtedly. Absolutely.
     Don't pay the money in advance. Or you will never see the
seller again. Or your new $45 TV.
     This scammer was working over on South Westgate Drive
on December 5. You do not want to be the next victim.

*     *     *     *     *

CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS - UPDATE 12-27-12

          The catalytic converter crowd hit the Weslaco School
District Transportation Dep't in December. Between Dec. 21-26,
thieves breached a fence and removed catalytic converters from
10 fleet vehicles.

LATE NOVEMBER / EARLY DECEMBER
          The thieves, specializing in catalytic converters, have returned
to Weslaco. In November, they have struck areas on South Utah,
West Expressway 83, and Palm Plaza shopping center. These thefts
have occurred during the day and at night.
            The thieves like the higher profile vehicles, such as certain
SUV's and vans. 

                         ^     ^      ^     ^     ^     ^     ^

YARD THEFTS                (9-24-12)
        Thefts from front yards continue. The thieves drive around
Weslaco, just looking for those potted plants, lawn chairs, yard
equipment, and BBQ pits (especially popular.)  They'll even pull
plants out of the ground.
          Keep an eye out for slow-driven cars or trucks cruising
your neighborhood. Get a vehicle description and a license plate
number if you can. Then call the police.

                                             *    *    *    *    *    *

LOTTERY WINNER
     What if, you got a telephone call, and the voice on the line told you that you had just won POWER BALL lottery?  Forget it! That's just what our potential vicitm did after she called the Weslaco Police Department.
     Someone calling themselves a representative of Global Enterprises told our complainant that she had just won 2.8 million dollars in the Power Ball drawing. All she had to do was send a Western Union money order to a Deer Park, WA, address to cash in. Of course only the scammer would cash in-at $100 a pop. YOU NEVER HAVE TO PAY TO WIN A CONTEST.

                                       *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *                                 

 MYSTERY SHOPPER
      There really is a mystery shopper program. But it should not cost you anything to participate. Unfortunately, there is a perversion of that program floating on the internet that is designed into tricking you into sending the crook your hard-earned money. Don't be fooled! The trickster, either by internet or telephone, may contact you, want to send you a check which you are to cash, and then send him an amount from it and you can keep the remainder. You will be left holding the bag after your bank tells you that the check is worthless or a forgery. If you are asked to send someone money by Western Union, BE CAREFUL! This is the favorite method of payment of scammers.

                                     #  #  #  #  #  #  #  #  # 

                      Scam Alert - Senior Citizens
     A "Work from Home" scam has recently surfaced in Weslaco. Actually, it
occurred to the victim in March of this year but just was reported to the police
department on May 11. According to the police report, the complainant received an email from a man in the United Kingdom about working from home. He sent her 3 money grams at $850 each for her to cash and then send him part of the money and she could keep the balance for herself. She was requested to sent him the money by Western Union. (you can never get that money back!) . Her bank told her the money grams were fake. There was NO real job, and this was just a scam to get her to send this predator money. Remember, if you have to send someone else money, it is 99% sure that it is a scam.

                                            *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

The "Relative Scam" seems to have dwindled to nothing. No reports of the "poor nephew" have been logged in during the last couple of weeks. But don't let yourguard down. He could rise from the ashes any time.

                                            *   *   *   *   *   *  

      A SCAM that  surfaced in January has to do with a letter announcing that the recipient is a sweepstakes winner. The winner is asked to call a contact person who is actually a real person. In this case, the name he used was Bruce Peters. He advises the person to deposit a check into their own bank account and then send, by Western Union,  a portion of the money to an address. Then shortly, this same crook tried to get the victim to send him more money. That caused the victim to get suspicious. The check deposited was worthless, the victim was out $1,500, and Bruce Peters is nowhere to be found. Don't fall for these unsolicited "get rich quick" schemes. Any time you are a winner, you should not have to fork over your own money to receive your prize or your personal information, such as a bank account number. Tell them to send you the money by Western Union.   
      Click on this link for scam information:     www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/scams.shtml

     ATTENTION LADIES - Time after time, when criminals break into vehicles, they steal ladies' purses if they are there. It doesn't make any difference if the purse is slid under the seat; the crook will find it. It will be a little safer in the trunk. And ladies, DO NOT keep Social Security cards, birth certificates, and large amounts of cash in your purses. You can lose your cash and you also may become a victim of identity theft.