Support Single Mom Scammed by Fake Palmer Police

Are you aware that the Palmer Police Department has a role in a huge scam affecting a ton of people in the Matsu-valley?

Unfortunately I recently learned the hard way and now have nothing.

On June 6th I received a call from a person claiming to be an officer on a recorded line from what the caller ID said was “The Palmer Police Department”

The officer on the phone said I, "signed a piece of certified mail on March 3rd at the Palmer post office stating that I had signed for a grand jury summons for a murder trial and I failed to show in court May 6th for my jury duty and the trial." Now, I have to sign for mail occasionally but did not recall signing for this. However the dates were right before some travel to with my kid so perhaps I signed and misplaced or forgot about the mail.

They said I could come into the police department for processing but first I needed to pay my bond on my charges contempt of court. They said I would be able to settle the issue that day and eventually get the charges dropped on my end. However, the officer on the phone made it very clear what I had missed was for a murder trial and since the trail just started because it was for a murder there was a federal gag order for me to talk to anyone publicly about the case or what my bonds are for.

I've never had criminal charges against me and was motivated to right where I made wrong. I certainly would have showed up to be a juror had I known. I felt terrible and panicked because he kept saying if I hung up officers would be dispatched to get me which was a trauma I did not want my daughter to witness. I explained I was a mom watching my daughter and her friend for a play date and I needed time to be able to deal with child care arrangements and getting the other mom to the house.

The officer on the phone would not let me hang up. He said if I did hang up police would be dispatched to the house to arrest me. They I had to pay a bond fee but it would all be processed and returned the same day and I would be acting as my own representative if I paid a bond fee and cooperated with the police.

I needed to go to the court house for finger printing and processing. They said I had to pay the bond fee electronically (an adjustment they made since covid) and then go in for fingerprinting.

I was overwhelmed and felt terrible for missing the court date. I stopped my day, had a child picked up from a play date, and abandoned my kiddo mid-week with unplanned visit to her dads which caused a huge trauma response because of the unexpected change in our day and me having to leave abruptly again unable to mention what was going on to the care takers I left her with. The "officer" heard my daughter crying over the phone and even consoled me on how “hard this must be and thanked me for my cooperation and he understood why I did not want to bring my daughter to the police station with be because that would be hard to explain”.

At one point we got disconnected and they called back immediately from the "palmer police department" phone number. I had checked during our time on the phone together and it was the correct number and the address he was telling me I was going to was the correct address for the Palmer Police Department.

I asked lots of questions and took tons of notes including my case number, and charges against me. I was scared, pressured, and felt like I was following the law to pay the bond fee and then go get fingerprinted so the warrants went away and I did not go to jail. I was told enough times that I believed I would be reimbursed for the fund and the funds were like a deposit so I could set my court date for my final fees and charges. Since my fines were $8500 total but in court I could bring the price down.

They had be go to the “public kiosk” in Fred Meyer to pay the fee through a coinstar machine which seemed suspect and I asked a lot of questions through the process but was assured my receipt would be what I needed to proceed without booking at the police department when I arrived. It's embarrassing to share all these details looking back on the moment but I feel they are important to share and at this point I was in such a trauma response with ZERO support that I could not see the forest through the trees.

I'm a single mom that has to keep working living pay check to pay check so of course I was motivated to be able to go to work instead of stay in jail for a crime I did not remember committing.

At this point I had cried over the phone a few times about the experience in had definitely defaulted to a trauma response and was even feeling helped by the person over the phone. I was assured I would meet him and be processed at the police station by him. I was attempting to be a cooperative citizen.

I paid my fine and then was told to take my receipt with me, turn myself into the Palmer police department, and they would have my payment information there and process me for fingerprinting and a court date. None of the 2hour conversation over the phone was true I suddenly found out.

In the end and was scammed out of $3k which was supposed to go to my mortgage this month.

While talking to Palmer dispatch about my case I was told I was the 3rd person that was conned by the “Palmer Police Department” today and the person before me lost $400k.

She said they are very good at what they do and to not feel bad for being taken advantage of. I asked her if there was anything being done about the problem to which I was told there is nothing they can do. I suggested starting with changing their phone number or letting the public know what is going on. The dispatcher said “they are doing their best with frequent Facebook posts” I’m not on Palmer Police Facebook page but guess I should be. People are getting scammed all over the matsu- valley on this. Apparently for a “few years” and there is “nothing the police can do about it.” I was encouraged to file a claim with the FBI so they can track how much is being stolen but the people are over seas and their is not way to track what happened.

I got my daughter back from her emergent stay at her dad’s and when she returned she asked what happened and why I had to leave. I explained that mommy made a mistake and let a bad man steal all of mommy’s money that we were supposed to live off of. She got upset and asked me what we were going to do and if the bad man was going to jail. I explained to her that the only thing we have left to do is ask for help so, here I am (feeling stupid and traumatized by the days events) with nothing left to do but ask for help. I’m a single mom who works three jobs and I have no one person that I can ask for support in this moment. I'm hopeful a little from a few people will help us get through this month. Sadly, this person knowingly wiped us out of everything we had while making me feel like a criminal and now I don’t have enough money in the bank account to pay my bills this month and the tiny bit of savings I had is gone.

I’m sharing mostly because I don’t feel like a few posts on Palmer Police Facebook page is enough due diligence from the Palmer Police.

I’m sharing my story in hopes that others will hear it in the valley and not be intimidated like I was to let someone steal their money. Finally, I’m sharing to ask for help and to restore my faith in humanity that good will triumph evil. I work locally in as a nurse at Matsu Regional and hold space regularly for people in times of need. I try to do it all on my own and have never asked for help before but I recognize that I can't do this alone and I simply don't know what else to do.

Thanks in advance for any donation you can provide.