Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office reported several incidents of scam artists making contact with Fountain Hills residents over the past week.

On Thursday, May 7, a resident of the 16800 block of Avenue of the Fountains reported she was contacted by a potential employer after she posted her resume on a job finder website. She went through a Skype interview for the position and was offered the position, which she accepted.

She soon received a check from the potential employer with instructions to deposit the check and purchase gift cards to then buy job-related supplies. Soon after, she received additional checks to do the same, but the request this time was to purchase gift cards for other employees so they could then purchase job supplies. The victim was then contacted by her bank and informed that the checks she deposited did not clear and she was out over $15,000. The victim attempted to reach the person who had sent her the checks, but could not contact them any longer.

*On Friday, May 8, a resident of the 15100 block of Mustang Drive reported that he fell victim to a job offer scam in which he lost approximately $5,400. He also posted his resume on a job search website and received a response from a potential employer. The employer conducted an interview and offered the victim a job. The victim was then mailed a check to purchase work related supplies and then asked to pay another person, which he would then be reimbursed. The victim’s bank notified him the check did not clear his account and he realized he had been scammed.

*On Tuesday, May 12, a resident of the 10400 block of Saguaro Blvd. reported being scammed out of $50 when attempting to purchase a product online through a private seller. The victim was asked to provide the $50 upfront and then to pay the rest once the item was delivered, however the item never arrived and the seller blocked the victim from contacting him.

*On Tuesday, May 12, an out-of-state caller contacted MCSO to check on the welfare of his elderly mother in the 17200 Block of Quail Ridge Drive. He informed deputies that she may have been the victim of a scam. Deputies contacted the victim and based on her accounts, she had received a call over the past few days from a man claiming a millionaire wanted to surprise her with a large sum of money. In the end, the victim was convinced to deposit a large sum of money into the suspect’s account prior to being provided with the money.

*On Wednesday, May 13, a resident of the 15200 block of Thistle Drive reported being scammed out of a thousands of dollars in a scam in which she was told she won a vehicle and a large sum of money and was requested several times to pay small amounts of money for taxes. When the car and the money did not show up on the day it was supposed to, the victim realized she had been scammed and reported it to MCSO.

*On Thursday, May 7, a resident of a condominium complex at Pepperwood and Saguaro Blvd. reported a possible violation of the Governor’s Executive Order due to a group of teenagers swimming in the complex’s swimming pool. A deputy contacted the teenagers and explained the Governor’s Executive Order as it related to swimming pools remaining closed for the time being. The teenagers left the pool area.

*On Thursday, May 7, a resident of the 12900 block of La Montana Drive reported that while walking she lost her cell phone, but went back and located it a short time later. She found that several cards, including her debit card, were missing from the phone case. The next day a resident located the cards on the street and contacted MCSO. The cards were given back to the person they belonged to.

*On Friday, May 8, a deputy in the area of Saguaro Blvd. and Avenue of the Fountains observed three teenagers under the age of 16 out past curfew and walking along Saguaro Blvd. at 2:30 a.m. The deputy contacted the parents of all three juveniles and returned them home. The juveniles were given a warning.

*On Friday, May 8, deputies responded to the 11200 block of Crestview Drive. A vehicle was struck as it backed out of a residential driveway into the path of an oncoming vehicle. No injuries were reported and both vehicles suffered minor damage.

*On Friday, May 8, deputies were called to Fountain Park for a report of a man fishing and another man yelling at the person fishing. The person fishing believed he was helping due to the fish being a problem in his opinion. Deputies educated the fisherman that he could not fish at the park.

*On Friday, May 8, deputies responded to the 16700 block of Parkview Ave. after a caller reported a possible violation of the Governor’s Executive Order when they observed several men and vehicles parked at a local business with the men consuming alcohol on the patio of the establishment. A deputy made contact with three men, who claimed a few others had recently left and they were the individuals drinking on the patio. The deputy explained the Governor’s Executive Order to the men and the men agreed to leave. The business itself was locked with all lights off and no one appeared to be inside the business.

*On Saturday, May 9, a resident of the 16700 block of Westby Drive observed a person going through his unlocked vehicle at approximately 2:30 a.m. and confronted the person. The suspect told him that it was his sister’s vehicle and that he was looking for something, to which the victim informed him it was his vehicle. The suspect fled on foot with the victim following until the suspect stated he had a gun and the victim stopped following him and called the Sheriff’s Office. The suspect left a scooter behind, which was taken and placed into evidence by MCSO. The victim did not observe anything of value taken from his vehicle and provided a description of the subject to deputies, who were unable to locate the suspect.

*On Saturday, May 9, deputies responded to Shea Blvd. and Eagle Mountain Parkway for a collision. A motorist attempting to exit the private shopping center onto Shea Blvd. pulled out and was struck by a motorist who was already traveling on Shea. The driver saw the vehicle had its turn signal on and believed the vehicle was turning in the same driveway he was exiting, but the vehicle continued on its path and struck his vehicle as he turned out of the drive. The driver who pulled out from the private drive was issued a civil citation.

*On Monday, May 11, deputies were called to a convenience store in the 9600 block of Saguaro Blvd. by an employee reporting that an intoxicated man was acting disorderly inside the store. Deputies arrived and made contact with the subject who was consuming an alcoholic beverage he had not paid for inside the store. The subject was highly intoxicated and continued to act disorderly. He was arrested and booked into jail for the disturbance.

*On Monday, May 11, deputies responded to the 13700 block of Fountain Hills Blvd. for a report that two suspects stole approximately $120 worth of Mother’s Day floral goods from the grocery store. Employees were able to obtain a license plate to the vehicle and the case is currently being investigated.

*On Monday, May 11, deputies were called to the 14400 block of Saguaro Blvd. for a single vehicle accident in which a motorist left the roadway and struck a residential mailbox. The driver stated another vehicle had cut him off, causing the accident.

*On Monday, May 11, deputies stopped a motorist at Shea and Palisades boulevards for speeding and it was learned her driving privileges had been suspended due to previous civil traffic violations. The driver’s license was seized and the driver was issued a citation for speeding and for driving on a suspended license.

*On Tuesday, May 12, deputies stopped a motorist for speeding on Saguaro Blvd. at Indian Wells Drive. The vehicle was reportedly traveling 55 miles per hour were the speed limit is 35. The driver was found to have an outstanding felony arrest warrant and was booked into jail on the warrant and cited for speeding.

*On Tuesday, May 12, deputies investigated a single vehicle accident at Palisades Blvd. and La Montana Drive in which the driver of the vehicle travelled slowly through the intersection without stopping at the stop sign and into the lanes of oncoming traffic before striking a tree. It was believed the driver may have suffered a medical emergency and the driver was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

*On Wednesday, May 13, a resident of the 15300 block of Mustang Drive reported that her surveillance camera captured footage of a man entering into her garage and attempting to gain access into her locked vehicle. The suspect was not able to get into the vehicle and left.

*On Wednesday, May 13, two vehicles collided in the intersection of Saguaro and Grande boulevards. Both drivers claimed they had the right of way with a green light. There were no witnesses to the accident and neither driver was injured in the collision.