Man arrested in Wisconsin for scamming Hastings woman, police say

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Police say a man is under arrest in Wisconsin for scamming a central Nebraska woman.

Hastings Police said an 85-year-old woman, from Hastings, reported that she received a phone call asking for money to help a relative who was in jail.

HPD Detective Travis Beahm said the scammer gave the woman specific instructions on what she needed to do to package the money and send it off. The woman sent thousands of dollars to the scammer.

Hastings Police worked with agencies in Wisconsin and was able to intercept the package, recover the money and make an arrest of a 32-year-old man in Platteville, Wisconsin.

Detective Beahm wouldn’t name the suspect but said he had a couple of different aliases and was dealing with ICE and Homeland Security.

He said a lot of time scammers prey on the elderly but said that anyone of any age can be scammed.

Detective Beahm said the main thing is to be weary of phone scams. He said to remember if you have concerns, contact your local law enforcement to make sure it’s legitimate.