Someone claiming to be the Hermiston police chief has been calling local residents with news they have $600,000 coming to them, but that they need to provide an insurance charge before receiving the money.
The real Hermiston police chief, however, said the department would never be involved in anything like that.
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“Members of the Hermiston Police Department will never participate in the transfer of money from one person to another unless it is something we have seized during the course of our work,” Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston said.
According to Edmiston, when the perpetrator makes the call, the recipient’s Caller ID shows the call coming from the Hermiston Police Department with the department’s actual phone number.
In a recent call to a Hermiston resident, the male caller identified himself as Chief Jason Edmiston and then advised he was working with U.S. Customs regarding $600,000 that was to be awarded to the victim from Publisher’s Clearinghouse, but a $950 “insurance” charge would need to be paid since the money would be coming from Mexico. The victim was given information on where to send the money and $950 was sent via wire, said Edmiston.
“The old adage ‘If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,’ should be the first thing a person thinks about when receiving a call such as this,” Edmiston said. “If anyone has questions or concerns, please call me at my direct line 541-667-5107 or reach out to our Crime Prevention Officer Erica Sandoval at 541-667-5112.”
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