‘Tis the Season…For Scammers, Thieves, Porch Pirates

Don’t let the late scramble of holiday shopping get you caught with your guard down.

When you’re in between stores, Charles City Police Captain Brandon Franke advises keeping anything a thief might want out of your car out of sight.

And, if the hustle and bustle of last-minute holiday shopping has you running from store-to-store, Franke cautions avoiding the temptation of dashing inside while leaving your car running with the keys in the ignition. 

Chickasaw County Sheriff Ryan Shawver says this is the time of year scam activity ramps up.

Shawver also advises protecting yourself from “porch pirates.”

Earlier this week, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office said an elderly couple was scammed out of $15,000 cash. 

Floyd County Medical Center had to shut down a Facebook-driven promotion to giveaway cookies because scammers “ghosted” the account to gather personal information from people trying to win.

In response to the increase in scams, the Waukon Police Department has added a “Scams” page to its website to help citizens recognize potential scams to better protect themselves.

If you think you’ve been a victim of a scam or even just targeted by a scammer, contact your local authorities.