Cheyenne veteran warns about mail scam

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - A Cheyenne veteran is warning people about a scam that targeted him by trying to take advantage of a real need.

Veteran Tim Whisnant set up a go-fund-me account to help with expenses related to his comfort animals.

They help him with his PTSD and anger management.

“I’m disabled. I’m a veteran, and I’m on a very strict budget, and I really can’t afford to get insurance or pay for my dogs –what they need – my service dogs,” Whisnant said.

Someone sent an email asking for his address. Not long after that he got a check in the mail.

“The check looks like a normal check. So I called the bank on the check and they transferred me to their fraud department,” Whisnant said.

Normally fraudsters will ask for money to be returned for fees, before the bank asks for all of the money back.

Computer classes Whisnant’s taken included security topics and made him suspicious, especially since a friend fell for a similar scam.

“Now they’re $2000 in the hole, because they cashed it, after the bank verified it five times,” Whisnant said.

Whisnant wants spread the word so fellow veterans and other vulnerable people will be cautious in the case of unexpected windfall.

“If you get a check from somebody you do not know don’t cash it. No matter how hard up you are for money, don’t cash it.”

Click here to visit Whisnant’s Go-fund-me page.

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