Tag Archives: police

Idaho, U.S.

Beware Latest Scams Cops asking for Bail Money & Postal Delivery Notices

In East Idaho there are a couple of scams going around.  The first involves people calling you up and acting like cops trying to get bail money.  They tell you they’ve arrested one of your friends, or in the case of a local business, one of your employees, and they need bail money.  Sounds unbelievable, because bail is normally handled through the courts, but, amazingly several people, and a local Pocatello restaurant (Butterburr’s) have fallen for the scam.  One guy was even told he would end up getting his money back.  Do not wire money to anyone you do not know, even if they claim to be a police officer!

The warning for the other scam is coming from the United States Postal Service (USPS).  People are being sent email notices about a package they need to pick up.

WEST WINDSOR, NJ - AUGUST 21: Trucks are seen parked at a U.S. Postal facility August 21, 2002 in West Windsor, New Jersey. Samples will be collected to see if the anthrax found in a Princeton mailbox last week was spread through the network that transfers mail from Princeton. (Photo by Don Murray/Getty Images)

On Friday, October 22, I was in one of the Pocatello post offices and the lady in front of me asked for a package that she was told she had to pick up.  The Postal Clerk looked for some time, didn’t find anything, then asked for the pick up slip the Postal Carrier normally leaves.  The lady said she had gotten an email.  As far as I know the USPS does not send out email, or phone, notices that a package needs to be picked up.  It’s a good thing the lady didn’t click on the email link, ’cause that’s when they get you.  The USPS website has a warning about the scam.

Idaho, Opinion

Red Cross Hummers. Why?

Brand new Red Cross Hummer seen in the Fred Meyer parking lot in Pocatello, Idaho.

General Motors has been donating Hummers to the American Red Cross since 2004, along with a lot of cash ($100,000 in 2004). GM claims the vehicles help with disaster response. I can see the Hummer H1 as practical for this, but the H2 & H3 are among the most impractical  SUVs out there.

Why not deck out one of GMs big four door 4×4 pickups with all kinds of rescue gear, that would be more practical. Are the H2s & H3s meant for rescuing the upper class in style?

This is just another example of the lack of wisdom in our corporate leadership. Oh, but wait, I bet GM got a huge tax write off for doing this. A tax write off for an expensive vehicle that was seeing declining domestic sales (a little more than 9,000 in 2009 compared to almost 56,000 in 2007). Oh, isn’t General Motors the company that got bailed out by U.S. taxpayers (yes, they did pay it back, at least on paper).

Here’s better news; the Hummers aren’t even made anymore. The Chinese government rejected plans to buy Hummer, and GM officially ceased production this year (apparently the last Hummer H3 left the production plant in May 2010).

So the question now is; is GM going to continue to donate vehicles to the American Red Cross, or was it just a way to write off their unsold Hummers? If they do give the ARC more vehicles I hope they choose a more practical truck.