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Walmart evacuated after alleged bomb threat
Walmart in Bedford was evacuated this past Friday evening after a bomb threat was discussed over the internal radio system, apparently by someone operating externally with the same frequency. Shortly after 7pm, a “Code Brown” had been announced to employees, which meant to evacuate the store. Law enforcement searched the building, and reopened the store an hour later, after determining that everything was safe, and that the threat was a prank. This is the second time this calendar year that the in-store radio system was used to deliver a prank emergency; in January, the fake threat was that a woman was being held at gun point.
Person falls 50 feet off of Spillway Cliff
Emergency personal scrambled to retrieve a person who had fallen 50 feet off of a cliff on Valley Mission Road at Monroe Lake over the weekend. The 911 calls came from witnesses who heard the individual fall, and then found the person at the bottom of the cliff. Firefighters and members of the DNR worked to retrieve the victim with the use of a stokes basket, which was carried to an opening where a pick-up transported the
patient to an ambulance. The patient was listed in serious condition.
Small Business Awareness of Theft/Fraud Ring Targeting Off-Road Vehicle Dealers in Indiana
The Indiana State Police has become aware of eight confirmed cases which have occurred throughout the state of Indiana recently exhibiting similar fraudulent activities. All the cases have the following elements:
- Person wants to purchase an ATV, side by side, lawn mower, dirt bike, etc. over the phone.
- Provided driver’s licenses and credit cards are fraudulent.
- Credit card transactions might be declined, additional credit cards may be used for the entire purchase, or charges may be disputed later by actual credit card owner.
- Suspect’s story is often that they are buying the vehicle for someone else, who is not present.
- Suspect usually brings a moving van/rental truck to transport fraudulently purchased vehicle.
The Indiana State Police is providing some recommended preventative measures for businesses:
- Be suspicious of over the phone transactions, especially if caller wants to rush the purchase.
- Review purchase policies and consider mandating that the person who calls in the order must be the one who picks up the vehicle.
- Make sure the person picking up the vehicle brings the credit card(s) used to make the transaction as well as a DL or ID.
- Verify the identity of purchaser at the time of pickup and be aware of the use of fake ID’s.
- Make sure the credit card transactions will go through and not be disputed. Consider holding the purchase for three to four days until transaction is verified.
The above listed information is only a recommendation to mitigate being victimized by this type of fraud/theft and should not be considered a complete list of steps to prevent a crime from occurring. If you believe someone has attempted to fraudulently purchase a vehicle from your business, please contact your local law enforcement or Indiana State Police Post. To find the post nearest to you, please follow this link https://www.in.gov/isp/2382.htm.