Danville Residents Scammed, Police Chief Issues Alert

DANVILLE, CA — Scams and frauds of all types happen in every community, but Danville Police Chief Allan Shields is alerting citizens to some recent hustles that have targeted local residents. Three victims were scammed out of a total of $100,000, and the Danville PD is actively investigating, Shields said. The cases involve the "Advance Fee" and the "Relative in Distress" scams.

In the Advance Fee scam, the victim is notified (text, voice message, or email) that they have won something, usually cash, in a contest or lottery. But but in order to collect the winnings, victims are told to pay an up-front "processing fee." The victim pays the fee, and never hears from the scammers again.

In the Relative in Distress scam, it is pretty much how it sounds, Shields said. The victim receives a phone call from the scammer that a relative has been arrested or is in need of money to get out of a problem situation. Either way, the victims are instructed to purchase gift cards or other means of transferring money.

Shields stressed that government and law enforcement agencies never ask citizens to purchase gift cards to pay fines, bail, etc. This holds true for lotteries, as well, he said.

Shields encouraged residents to contact the police department at (925) 314-3700 (during business hours) or (925) 820-2144 (after hours) if you receive calls/texts asking for money for these sorts of frauds.