Scam Swindles LaPorte Man Out Of $2500

A LaPorte man is out $2500 after falling victim to a telephone scam. According to the report, a 63-year-old man told police that on July 17, he was contacted by man over the phone who identified himself as a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agent and told him that the agency had learned that he’d purchased drugs illegally over the internet and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

However, the caller told the victim that the charges would be dropped if he wired the caller $2500 via Western Union. The victim said the call had made him very nervous because the caller not only seemed to know personal information about him, but he admittedly purchased drugs online several years ago.

The victim proceeded to wire the suspect $1,250 on July 18 and the same amount again on July 19, thinking the ordeal would be over. Unfortunately, he was contacted again on July 22 and asked to wire another $1,500 to the Dominican Republic. It was then that the victim realized he had been scammed and refused to transfer the funds.

The victim was provided the number to the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint, and was advised not to answer or comply with such phone calls in the future.