Offer for free fish believed to be scam

Financial institutions are advising their customers to beware of a scam offering free fish which they believe is a con game aimed at cleaning out the bank accounts of elderly victims.

?Anytime you see the word free, be careful because it?s generally just a way to get people?s attention,? said local banker and County Commissioner Ken Martin. ?These are just ways to get money from older people. I don?t like it but we see it over and over again.?

The latest fraud alert bulletin involves a scam targeting a Woodbury resident who responded to a free fish ad in a newspaper there. According to the alert, the intended victim was asked for bank account information, routing numbers and other personal information. When the victim refused, the man who had answered the phone began making threats, claiming he would ruin his credit.

An investigation into the incident revealed the phone number came back to a man previously arrested for a string of fraud cases in 1991.

?We want people to be careful because there are a lot of con men out there looking to take advantage,? Martin said. ?You need to be careful when people say something is free.?