The Ralston Police Department wants to remind people that, during the holiday season and with the state of the current economic situation, many people representing various organizations are preying on others. It is imperative that people take time and do a little research into who is soliciting money from you and for what reason.

If you receive a phone call from someone identifying himself as a representative of an organization, you should be cautious. Ask the caller where he is calling from. Is he a true representative of the organization or is he from a telemarketing firm representing the organization? Be very cautious of any organization that will provide a runner to come to the house and pick up money or ask that money be left in an envelope on the door. In addition, you can look at your caller ID. Is the call blocked? Did the call come from an "Unknown Caller"? While some legitimate organizations may use some of these techniques (telemarketers, runners, etc.), the Ralston Police Department highly recommends that you err on the side of caution and submit donations directly to the organization or, at a minimum, contact the organization directly to verify there is a fund raising effort going on.

In addition, there continues to be a continuous flow of email scams. The latest that was received by the Ralston Police Department was an email that appeared to come from the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). The email appears somewhat legitimate as it contains the address of the FBI in Washington D.C. and is allegedly signed by the director. The email states that the recipient is entitled to funds from a bank in Nigeria. The email also contains threats should the recipient not follow through with the guidance contained in the email. The FBI-Omaha Field Office is well aware of this scam and is doing what it can to stop such emails. However, since the emails are being generated in another country, the efforts have been extremely challenging.

The Police Department wants to remind everyone to have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.