Missoula police officials are reporting that they have been seeing a recent increase in telephone, Internet and mail scams.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is,” warned Rob Scheben, the Missoula Police Department’s crime prevention officer.

The fraudulent offers are reaching Missoula residents in several ways, which has resulted in complaints being filed with Scheben’s office.

One scam making the rounds is coming in the mail. Officials say that some residents have received phony checks with letters asking the victim to cash the checks and send back a certain percentage of the money for processing.

Another mail scam involves the senders posing as relatives saying they are in jail and need the victim to send money. The letter usually asks for the money to be sent as a Western Union or MoneyGram transfer.

And in yet another mail scam, a letter may inform the victim that he or she has won a lottery but must send money to receive the payoff.

“Lotteries do not ask for money up front,” Scheben says. “That just does not happen.”

Meanwhile, Scheben reports that the common sources for Internet scams in Missoula seem to originate from Nigeria, Canada and Jamaica. The offer is often similar to mail offers, notifying the victims that they have won money in a lottery or that a relative needs money.

Internet scams often tell the victim that a relative overseas has died and willed money to the victim, who can claim the money by sending a fee.

A similar type of scam is also happening via the telephone. Authorities say that Montanans, especially older people, are often easy targets because they are trusting.

You should never give out a credit card number or other personal information, and never agree to send money to a stranger who calls.

The Missoula Police Department works with the Office of Consumer Protection when scams are
reported.

- Mark Thorsell reporting from KPAX in Missoula