Brooklyn Center police, citizens stop man from being scammed

Law enforcement and private citizens worked together Tuesday to help a man avoid falling victim to a scam.

Brooklyn Center Police says a clerk at a Casey’s store and a customer called police after a man was told his daughter had been kidnapped and he needed to pay a ransom to get her back.

The man was panicking and went to Walmart to wire the money to free his daughter, and two citizens called police to get officers to stop him.

“The awesome callers got a partial plate for the victim’s vehicle and he was found at Walmart before he went into the store,” Brooklyn Center police said.

Officers were able to convince the man he was being scammed before he wired money to anyone and called his daughter to ensure she was OK.

The department noted the scam was frightening and seemed realistic, as the caller even had a screaming female in the background. However, it’s important to avoid panicking and making rash decisions.

It’s the second scam report Brooklyn Center officers have been notified of in the past week, the department added.

Click here to see some tips from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid scams.