The Anchorage Police are reporting a spate of fake jewelry scams being carried out in the Anchorage/Eagle River areas in the last two weeks and are asking the public to report any encounters with the suspects.

APD says that a group of suspects, who APD says dress and speak as if they are foreign, approach their targets while in parking lots or faking being broke down on the roadside. They tell the victims that they need to sell their jewelry in order to go home. 

The suspects tell their targets that “they cannot sell the jewelry themselves because they are taken advantage of as foreigners when they try to sell in a local store,” says APD.

Their victims find out later when they attempt to re-sell the jewelry, that it is fake. There has  been over a dozen reported victims who have paid out thousands of dollars.

ZVictims say that the scammers become verbally aggressive when the people refuse to buy their fake jewelry.

According to the report, the scammers use the same vehicle for a couple of days before switching to another.

Police are asking the public to let them know if they have had interaction with these suspects whether they have purchased from them or not. APD also says, “If you are approached in the future by the suspects, do not engage with them, but please call Police Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or 907-786-8900 (option #0) and report the suspect(s) current location so that an available officer may respond.”

  Alaska, fake, jewelry, scam, scammers