West Jordan Resident Honored for Thwarting $20,000 Fraud

"I just did what I believed was right," Mauricio Campos said.

By doing what was right, he saved one woman from losing $20,000. Campos was honored by the West Jordan City Council, and was presented with a Community Impact Award. He was working his regular shift at a Quik Pick Market when the elderly woman was trying to use a Bitcoin machine. She had a lot of money, and Campos realized she was about to lose it forever.

"She thought, as part of the fraud, that she had been in contact with law enforcement and was doing what she was supposed to do," Deputy Police Chief Richard Bell said.

Campos explained that she needed to contact the real police and that she was being scammed.

"The West Jordan Police Department has a motto, 'You matter like I matter', Deputy Bell said. "He embodied that."

Scams can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone. We may think it won't happen to us, but scammers are really good at making us feel fear, panic, or even sympathy.

"When we're in that state, we're probably not making the best decisions, and not thinking rationally," Sgt. Adam Julian, West Jordan Police Public Information Officer said.

Don't be fooled by scammers pretending to be police officers! This is what a scam can look like:

The Scam: You'll get a phone call with a caller ID from a police department, or officer. Scammers can use programs to copy a real phone number, and make you think the phone call is one you can trust.

The Demand: The scam caller will tell you they are a "government official" or "police officer." They will threaten you with an arrest or a fine, and they want you to act NOW. They want money that can't be tracked, and will ask you to send them a money order, Bitcoin (cryptocurrency) ATM, gift cards or cash.

The Truth: The West Jordan Police Department will not threaten you over the phone. And, they will never ask you to pay them with money orders, Bitcoin (cryptocurrency) ATM, gift cards or cash.