The Anchorage Police Department issued a warning about a jewelry scam that has been active in both Anchorage and Eagle River over the past two weeks.
Authorities detailed that the modus operandi involves individuals approaching citizens, asking them to buy their jewelry, claiming they need the money to return home.
The scammers have made allegations that they are unable to sell the jewelry themselves due to them being taken advantage of as foreigners at local stores. Those who fell for this scam have later discovered that the jewelry they purchased from the scammer is counterfeit upon attempting to resell it.
So far, roughly a dozen victims have been reported, with total losses amounting to thousands of dollars, police said.
Witnesses and victims described the suspects as well-dressed men and women. They are noted for appearing to be foreigners, distinguishable by both their attire and accent.
Several encounters have taken place in parking lots, while others have occurred when the suspects were seemingly stranded on the side of the road.
Kind-hearted citizens who stopped to help what they thought was someone with a broken-down vehicle, were then solicited to purchase the fake jewelry. Police reported that the suspects tend to switch vehicles every day or two.
Victims say that the suspects become verbally abusive when citizens decline their proposition.
The Anchorage Police urge anyone who has had an interaction with these individuals (regardless of whether a transaction took place) and has not yet informed the police, to immediately fill out a report at www.anchoragepolice.com.
APD strongly advised against engaging with these persons, but instead contact Police Dispatch at 3-1-1, option #1, or call 907-786-8900 and provide the suspect(s) current location so that a nearby officer can attend to the situation.
According to one person who saw the notification from police, a man of Middle Eastern descent approached her and her partner at the midtown Walmart and tried to sell them “18K gold” necklaces and a ring. He was driving a newer model white Toyota hybrid SUV crossover vehicle that he said was a rental. The man was described as “very pushy.”
Another person was approached at the Costco on Dimond Blvd. Yet another reported the scam going on in Kenai, while a fourth said she had been approached by this type of scammer in Soldotna while filling up at a gas station.
They have been up in Fairbanks too. Eastern European or Arab. Tell them you carry and that you’re calling the police.
Not kind-hearted Alaskans simple-minded. People who are illiterate lack logical thinking skills. You know adults whose parents didn’t read at all during the first five years to them as a babe. I can say this because of I am one of the adults of Alaska who knows what adults are like whom hadn’t been read too. But also I am pretty sure the scammers weren’t read too cause if they were smarter then they see how much time they waste standing around looking for a “sucker” instead of getting a job at Kroger or a Holiday for their “plane ticket” home. However I’m not that simple-minded to be scammed in that way. I met former employees who only worked cause they needed a plane ticket to go home or just leave Alaska.
You need to read aloud all the time to the babes under five at least 3 good quality books. If a child is read 10-20 books a day, be a lot harder for cheaters and liars to fool, and impossible if the Bible stories are read aloud along with the books to the child cause then the child is developing wisdom. I can tell you that the truth cause my child she has better developed logical thinking skills than I do. I pray more Alaskan kids her generation will start having this literary development skill developed before adulthood.
Is this comment about reading or about how to avoid a scammer or perhaps the Bible or work ethics? Your illogical thought patterns are showing thru Jen. Perhaps more sleep or more meditation or psychiatric care is in order for you!!
Are you Kamala’s speech writer by chance?
I sure hope your children are more literate than you.
I stopped for one of them. It took me seconds to realize he was a scammer. I just drove away. Yesterday I saw the article on Alaska News Source that said that APD wanted people who interacted with them to file online police reports, so I did.
I had a 15 seconds encounter while loading purchases from a local store. I declined, kept on working and they were off to find another prospect.
There is a class system developed in Alaska and the US. The illiterate believe you are talking down to them if you communicate using the proper English language. The US Constitution and all founding documents were written in proper, plain English language by very educated men and women. The dumbing down of Americans causes them to not know (because of not being taught the US Constitution) any of their rights. They cannot claim nor exercise any of their rights and this makes them vulnerable to tyrants locally and tyrant wanna-bees in other jurisdictions. Wonderful for the WEF and “you vill have nothink ” Klaus the louse Schwab and everyone of his adherents locally and in the legislature, executive and federal levels.
?
What kind of complete IDIOT would fall for such an obvious scam?
This is right up there with the infamous Nigerian prince.
As P.T. Barnum said, there is one born every minute?
Same someone who would give money to Trump?
With open borders we can expect more of these types.
Jefferson…I was thinking the exact same thing???
Seriously, you can’t save dim wits from themselves. Especially these days! I’m very suspicious of strangers approaching me out of the blue! That is creepy as hell!
This rates right up there with the guy with five Rolex’s on his arm who’s willing to give you a great deal because he likes you. Don’t feel sorry for people for falling for this, feel sorry for them because their IQ only has two numbers instead of three.
I wondered where the plane loads of illegal immigrants I watched land in juneau a year or so ago went to in Alaska! Looks like Anchorage.
Meanwhile…in the MatSu yesterday…anyone going to town see the series of AST rigs flying down Knik Road past the Vine Road cutoff? Saw 2 AST bomb trucks flying by… that’s not good.
Then there is grand theft auto going on, with gunfire and all in Big Lake. Matsu was all cracked out yesterday. Poor damn cops. They deserve free donuts for yesterday. And coffee too. Lol.
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