BOZEMAN — If something seems suspicious, that's because it probably is. Keep those suspicions high because scam calls are running rampant right now.
I walked around Peets’ Hill and asked folks, “Have you ever gotten a scam call?”
“Every day, at least 3 times a day,” one couple tells me.
If you’re like Nick and Cari, you’ve probably received a scam call at some point in your life. One specific scam call that left this couple rattled?
“His father, who has a landline and is older, got a phone call saying that our son was arrested for DUI and we needed to send money immediately,” shared Cari.
How were they able to tell this was a scam?
“They said it was in New York City, and I knew he was in Hawaii. That was the red flag. We were in shock. We were scared at first — we didn't know what to believe.”
Because these scams can be believable, how does Gary, another Bozeman local, say he avoids scam calls?
“All the people that I need to talk to are registered in my phone. So, when I get a phone call from them, it will show me who’s calling. Anything else I consider a scam call,” said Gary.
But that doesn’t stop these calls from coming in. In fact, as Nick and Cari were leaving, they flagged me down to show me:
“So that just happened while we were talking.” Another scam call.
I thought the volume at which these calls are coming in is crazy, so I headed to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office to learn what they’ve been seeing.
“You’ll see anywhere from 6–12 fraud calls come across the board during a day shift,”
Pawlikowski has been a patrolman with the Sheriff’s Office for 6 years. He looks into many of these scam calls and tells me the most recent scheme?
“The scam of Bitcoin. What they do is call a person posing as a law enforcement officer and, in some cases, a business,” started Pawlikowski.
These scammers inform you that you have a debt that needs to be paid immediately. They’ll ask you to withdraw cash from your bank and pay that debt at a nearby Bitcoin machine, commonly found at gas stations and grocery stores — running some folks up for tens of thousands of dollars.
“And then these folks find out shortly after that it was a scam and all their money is gone,” said Pawlikowski.
Pawlikowski told me that about 50% of the time, people will lose their money.
“Let me be clear: there is no time that law enforcement will ever collect money over the phone from you, let alone utilize cryptocurrency,” Pawlikowski wants to let people know.
WATCH: Bozeman locals and deputies share scam stories
Some other red flags Pawlikowski brought to light?
“A person will act like the matter is very time-sensitive. They want to rush you, fluster you, and make you feel like you need to get this done immediately. Another thing is the person will act as if you’ll get a better deal if you pay now,” shared Pawlikowski.
And finally, be aware if anyone asks for your personal information over the phone. Pawlikowski says if you feel you could be a victim of a scam call, reach out to the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency number at (406) 582-2100.
