WEST ALLIS --The West Allis Police Department is warning citizens of an online scam after an elderly citizen is out over $2,000 from a Facebook advertisement.
The advertisement indicated that a person could make up to $9,000 after providing $700 up front. The citizen received a phone call after "liking" the ad from someone who said they must provide a large sum of money or the caller would harm their son.
The citizen purchased $2,000 worth of gift cards and sent the gift card numbers to the caller. The caller asked for more money and the citizen complied.
A family member of the citizen later informed them that this was a scam and that they needed to report it to law enforcement.
West Allis police remind people to be cautious of online advertisements and get-rich-quick promotions. They also say to never give out sensitive information like social security number, date of birth, pin number, etc. to anyone who unexpectedly contacts you or claims to be from the IRS.
Police say to always contact law enforcement if someone threatens to harm you or your family.
