Local warns about a storage scam, and how to avoid it
Eduardo Morales
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Pam Engelmann says she received constant scam emails, saying everything in her storage unit would be sold. However, Engelmann doesn’t have a unit.
After receiving this same scam a second time, she alerted the police of the danger.
“I just don’t want anybody to get caught in this because three months of storage unit, had I given them my card, who knows what they would have done with it you know, it’s just a little frightening,” says Engelmann.
Luckily, she did not fall for it. However, these scams do typically affect people in her age range.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, personal losses due to internet crime increased by 30% last year.
They say that people ages 60 and over lost the most money at almost five billion dollars.
Peter Torres, a local storage unit manager, shares some helpful advice on how to know if an email or phone call is a scam.
“By law, we got to provide the customer all the details and the information that they need to know for them to save the items if they want it paid. Now, if this is a scam, immediately you will know that because they will not have that information,” Torres said.
The Yuma Police Department shares the possible punishments for those caught conducting these scams.
“It depends on the scam though, most of the time the money amounts could lead to felony charges for fraud, but fraud in general is a felony offense,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information Officer for YPD.
The FBI also says that Arizona was in the top ten for most money lost at $392,000,000.