Scam hits Whitehall area

It’s nothing out of the ordinary for Rodeway Inn manager Peter Niedermeyer to receive a package for a guest staying at the hotel located in Whitehall. During a shift last week, he received a package that turned out to be far from ordinary and wants to warn local residents about a scam circulating in the area.

After a receiving the package, Niedermeyer searched through customers checked into the hotel located in Whitehall and could not find anyone by that name. A little bit later in the day, he received a phone call asking him if the package arrived and the caller asked for the fax number for the hotel.

Niedermeyer reported that 30 minutes later he received a fax of a shipping label to put on the box that was to an address in New York. He felt something was not right and contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department who examined the package that appeared to be high-end skin care products. Niedermeyer said he was informed he had the right to call Fed Ex and tell them he didn’t want to ship the package and they needed to pick it up.

Later that night he would receive a phone call from someone claiming to be the name on the shipping label in New York. Niedermeyer informed the person calling he would be returning the package to Fed Ex and the caller hung up right away.

He was later told by the Sheriff’s Department they were informed by a postmaster that it could be a credit card scam. Niedermeyer said he was also told the name on the original package was a Whitehall area person who would could have been billed as part of the scam.

When the delivery person came to pick up the package, Niedermeyer said they have seen similar scams in Southwest Montana.

He said he contacted the Ledger as a way to let local businesses and residents know about the scam and to tell them to return any similar packages.