Bend Police issue scam alert amid uptick in costly cases, offer tips to help you avoid becoming a victim
Barney Lerten
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Bend Police Department alerted community members Thursday of a recent uptick in scams they are seeing frequently offering tips,in an effort to help you avoid becoming a victim.
“So far in 2025, we have received at least 243 calls reporting scams and fraud attempts,” Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said in a news release. “In July alone, 20 people reported to the Bend Police Department that they had lost a combined $107,905 in scams, in amounts ranging from $25 to $26,000.”
The types of scams can vary, but over the past couple of months, we’ve seen multiple incidents in which the victim lost tens of thousands of dollars through similar methods.
Here are just a few examples:
The victim received a call purporting to be from Wells Fargo. The caller told the victim there was an issue with her account, then sent an Uber to the victim’s home to provide transportation to the bank. The victim was directed to withdraw $12,000 and then took a second Uber to a Chase Bank to deposit the money in separate ATM deposits to unknown accounts. The caller then provided the victim with a third Uber to transport the victim back home.
The victim received a call purporting to be from U.S. Bank. The caller told the victim that someone had attempted to open a Zelle account with the victim’s phone number. The victim was directed to withdraw $2,000 in cash and use that money to buy MoneyPak Green Dot cards, then repeat the transaction at a different grocery store with $1,500 in cash. The victim then provided the numbers on the back of the cards to the caller.
The victim received an email from a scammer regarding a fake purchase on eBay. The victim called a number listed in the email and spoke with a person who directed the victim to go to a Bitcoin ATM and make multiple deposits totaling $32,000. The scammer was able to gain access to the victim’s computer through a screen-sharing program, and the scammer may also have shut down the victim’s bank account and attempted to make purchases on multiple credit cards.
Many of our most recently reported scams have featured a victim receiving either an email or a phone call about a problem – an issue with a bank account, a fraudulent charge, a warrant or a missed jury duty call.
The scammer then rushes the victim – they need to act quickly to solve the issue by transferring money, giving the scammer gift cards, or taking money out of their bank account and putting it elsewhere.
Often, the scammer stays on the phone with the victim the entire time the scam is taking place. By the time the victim figures out it’s a scam, they’re often too late and lose a lot of money.
Here are a few reminders to help prevent these scammers from getting hold of your hard-earned money:
Law enforcement and other federal agencies will never call or email you demanding money. Banks will not ask you to wire money as part of a fraud investigation. Banks will not tell you to remove money from their accounts and place it in another bank.
Do not transfer money into Bitcoin ATMs or online apps at the behest of any agency or business.
Legitimate groups do not request payment in the form of gift cards.
Not sure if it’s a scam? Trust your gut. Hang up, don’t reply to the email. Call your banking institution and check that the call or email is legitimate. Don’t trust caller ID – a scammer can fake a number they’re calling from. You can also Google the number you’re receiving a call from. Often, other people who have been scammed will post to the internet identifying the phone number as a scammer.
Have you been the victim of a scam? Call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 to report it and file a complaint with the FBI at www.IC3.gov.