POULSBO — Poulsbo Police Chief Alan Townsend issued this email Nov. 30 regarding some reported phone scams:

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Welcome to the holidays. We all seem to get busier this time of year, with more things on our minds, and more hectic shopping experiences due to larger crowds and less parking options.

This is also the time where we see more thefts from vehicles and more telephone scam attempts. Today I heard from a local citizen about two different scams; both occurred via phone.

One has been around a while and involves someone claiming to be with the police, a jail, the IRS, U.S. Marshals Service, etc. They say that there are criminal charges pending against the call recipient. Or they will tell you that a relative is in jail and you need to post bail. They ultimately will get to their request for money, usually by money order or wire transfer. If you don’t comply with their request, they will say that you will be arrested or that your relative won’t be released. And they can get somewhat nasty on the phone. There are different variations of this same type of scam.

Another popular telephone scam is the “computer service company.” They will call and inform you that you have a virus on your computer and they need to access it to clean your computer. They will ask for money and they may also seek out more personal information about you, such as a credit card number or even things like your Social Security number.

These may seem like obvious scams, but when you aren’t prepared or are busy with other things going on, people can fall victim to these.

Also, as you are out hunting down Christmas presents and stacking them in your car, please put those in the trunk or locked compartment. If you have an SUV, then put them in the far back and cover them with either the retractable cover that comes with the vehicle or some dark-colored blanket or tarp. This is really a crime of opportunity to these people, so if it’s out of sight, they are not likely to target your vehicle.

And finally, theft of delivered packages. We see some of these all year round but this is the prime time with gifts being ordered and delivered. If you are having packages sent to your home, either arrange to be there when they are delivered, beg one of your neighbors to watch for it, or have it delivered to your workplace. Some of these thieves simply follow the UPS or FEDEX drivers around and pick things off the front porch where it was left. If you can’t go with one of the delivery options I suggested above, then try to leave instructions on the order to leave it in a more obscure location, such as the back porch, behind a bush, etc.

And finally, if you are a victim of a crime, no matter how minor it may seem, please give us a call. It may help to prevent others from being victimized.

Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

— Alan Townsend, chief of police