On Oct. 3, 2022, it was reported that a 74-year-old female received a phone call from a male claiming to be her nephew. The caller informed the 74-year-old victim that he had been involved in a collision, and that to be released from custody, he needed her to pay $9,800. The victim was told not to speak to anyone about the case, and was given directions by a second male claiming to be a lawyer on how to prepare the payment for pickup by an alleged “court courier.”
The accused, 31-year-old Christy Carlson then arrived at the victim’s residence to collect the money.
On Nov. 30, 2022, Carlson was arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000 in connection to the incident.
In a separate, unrelated incident on Sept. 28, 2022, it was reported that a 76-year-old female received a phone call from a male claiming to be her nephew and stating that he had been in a collision. Another male claiming to be a lawyer then took over the call and told the victim she needed to pay $9,000 for her “nephew’s” release. She was instructed not to tell anyone about the case, and to prepare the funds for pickup by an alleged “court courier.”
The accused in this file, 26-year-old Salena Harris then arrived at the victim’s residence to collect the money.
On Dec. 1, 2022, Harris was arrested and charged with fraud over $5,000 in connection to the incident.
“In a case like this, always hang up the call and phone your family member directly to confirm whether the story is true. Never provide personal or financial information to an unknown caller or anyone whose identity you have not confirmed,” says Det. Pierre Lemire, EPS Investigative Response Section.
If you or someone you know has been a victim or has information about this scam, please report it to police at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.