This needs to be said

[jayhawk]

I live in Kansas where we have what is called a turnpike. This is a system where a driver has to pay to use certain sections of an Interstate. The rates are based on where you enter and exit the turnpike, with rates varying from a dollar for short trips to up to up to twenty bucks if you enter at the eastern most entrance and drive across the state and exit at the western most exit. Back in the old days you would get a ticket when you got on the turnpike and when you exited you would pay your toll to a turnpike attendant at the toll booth. A couple years back the state decided to get rid of the toll booths. Now if you use the turnpike you have two options. You can either get a ktag which is scanned when you enter and exit, with the toll automatically taken from your bank account, or if you don't have a ktag you will receive a paper bill in the mail.

There's been a scam going around for about a year now, where people get a text on their cell phone telling them they have a balance due for turnpike tolls and a warrant has been issued for their arrest. The text provides a website where the person can visit to pay the amount due (with fines of course) and get the arrest warrant cancelled. The local news stations seem to run a story on this scam about once a month. With fines the amount due usually runs hundreds of dollars.This is of course a scam.

It seems the scammers have taken things up a notch, as this morning I received a phone call from a man with a thick Indian accent who said he was Eddie from the police department on a recorded line. Not Officer Eddie or Detective Eddie but just Eddie. The call was spoofed to show a local number. Eddie told me the police were coming to my house to arrest me for unpaid turnpike charges. With fines and late fees the amount I owed was over $400. Of course Eddie did not want to see mee arrested, so he was happy to take care of the amount due over the phone.

This is just another reminder of why what we do here is so important. All I can think of is some elderly person, scared half to death over getting a call from the police telling them they are going to be arrested unless they pay hundreds of dollars to a scammer. There's a special place in hell reserved for these thieves, but thankfully there are people like the people in this community who do what we can to make their lives miserable and hopefully save a few people from becoming victims. I am so proud to be a part of this community. I've said it before but it's worth repeating - We're Batman!

[Kitty La Gore]

Upvote. Love emoji. 100.

[bware419ers]

What the bird said!