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SALT LAKE CITY -- A new national scheme is targeting Utah businesses, claiming their workers are behind bars and need to be bailed out.
Police say whoever is behind this is pretending to be a cop, calling about real workers when they're off and saying, "Hey, you need to bail this person out."
The scammer asks the business to wire money. Department of Commerce Executive Director Francine Giani says that's a red flag!
"I think a restaurant owner might want to ask, really, why is that employee asking you to pay to get them out of jail. Clearly, probably you would go to a family member first," she said.
Weber County sheriff's investigators say businesses there bit and are now out hundreds of dollars.
Police say the money is being picked up from a kiosk in Colorado. Investigators say real police names may have been used in these scams.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
