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Ripon Woman Loses $8,000 In Email Scam

RIPON (CBS13) - Police are warning residents to be aware of email scams after a 62-year-old Ripon woman recently was tricked out of $8,000 that she sent to the Dominican Republic.

According to police, she received an official-looking email purportedly from the Food and Drug Administration.

The email advised her that she was under investigation in the Dominican Republic, and she was told to send thousands of dollars as part of a plea bargain deal.

She was told that she was under surveillance and that if she didn't pay the money, she would be arrested.

After she sent an initial $2,000, the suspects demanded more money. The woman sent a total of $8,000, police said.

"It upsets us that these suspects are preying on our citizens," Ripon Police Sgt. Steve Merchant said in a press release Thursday. "We will be contacting the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Food and Drug Administration to advise them of this official-looking scam."

Merchant said Ripon citizens should contact the police department if they have any questions about suspicious telephone calls or emails. The department holds quarterly public meetings to inform the public about crimes in their city, including telephone and email scams.

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