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Local ties to fraud investigation

Posted 11/5/19

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Fountain Hills has confirmed detectives are investigating a couple of local complaints related to a Fountain Hills woman alleged to have conned numerous people …

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Local ties to fraud investigation

Posted

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Fountain Hills has confirmed detectives are investigating a couple of local complaints related to a Fountain Hills woman alleged to have conned numerous people around the Valley.

“We are working on a couple of investigations involving this person and scams of a couple of victims in Fountain Hills,” Capt. Larry Kratzer told The Times. “Since it is an ongoing investigation, I really can’t discuss what we have, but I know that one victim has reached out and conducted an interview with Channel 15.”

Kratzer said MCSO was unaware that the interview was done until it aired.

“That interview provided a lot of info as to what we are investigating,” Kratzer said.

On Oct. 29, the television news presentation broadcast interviews with three individuals and their accusations against Kimberly Lipps. The victims allege she conned them out of approximately $140,000 total.

The alleged complaints included faking cancer to raise money, stealing credit cards, using fraudulent checks to rent apartments (in Fountain Hills) and buying non-existent vehicles to con a business partner on a promise that some proceeds from flipping vehicles would be donated to a children’s hospital.

According to the news report Lipps is being investigated by several law enforcement agencies. The report states she was indicted on 15 counts more than a year ago, but has never been arrested.

The victims who told their story on television said they want people to be aware of the situation so they can avoid being scammed.