TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Sierra Vista Police department is sending out a new warning: Don't let a scammer turn you into a suspect.
SVPD says online shoppers should be careful when making purchases that may seem too good to be true. That's because you might actually be unknowingly participating in a fraud or identity theft scam.
The department says it's investigated two recent cases involving someone shopping on websites that offered steep discounts. The sites looked legitimate and even included customer testimonials.
According to SVPD, those scammers will request payment through an app or online service like Paypal or Venmo, then they purchase the ordered products using stolen account information from another victim, pocketing the money transferred by the actual buyer.
Police say the buyer may just think they got an incredible deal and not know they could become a suspect in an identity theft or fraud case when the account holder reports the unauthorized activity to the police.
If anyone suspects a website or social media account may be involved in a scam, police ask to hold off on making any purchases and report the site or account to the SVPD at (520) 452-7500.
