Fremont Woman Loses Thousands In 'Package-Drop' Scheme: Police

FREMONT, CA — Police say they're investigating a recent scam where an elderly Fremont woman was tricked out of thousands of dollars.

A person claiming to be from the FBI contacted the woman and convinced her to take part in a sting operation, according to the Fremont Police Department.

They told the woman to take out money or a cashier's check and give it to a courier at a fast-food restaurant along Mowry Avenue, police said.

The woman did this several times before realizing she was being scammed. She reported the incident to police on July 2, but not before losing several thousand dollars, authorities said.

It's unclear whether police have any leads on the suspected scammers. Police have previously said scams are often challenging for local law enforcement because the perpetrators often operate internationally.

Police in Fremont also recently warned of scammers impersonating city workers.

These scammers pretend to be from the Planning, Building and Safety, or other divisions within the city, and try to collect fake payments or fines related to permits or applications, police said.