Crime Stoppers of SW Oklahoma

10/09/2026

🚨 FRAUD FRIDAY: GIFT CARD SCAMS 🚨
🎁 STOP! THINK! VERIFY!
One of the biggest red flags for a scam is when someone tells you to pay them with a gift card.
Scammers may pretend to be:
👮 Police officers or government officials
🏦 Bank or fraud department employees
💻 Tech support
💼 Employers or businesses
❤️ Friends or family members
They may tell you that you need to purchase gift cards to pay a bill, settle a debt, protect your money, fix your computer, avoid arrest, or receive a prize.
🚩 REMEMBER: Legitimate businesses, government agencies, and law enforcement do NOT demand payment with gift cards.
If someone asks you to buy gift cards and give them the card numbers or PINs — STOP. It’s a scam red flag!
📸 Save the receipts. Don't share the numbers. Don't send the codes.
STOP • THINK • VERIFY

10/02/2026

🌙🎃 WE NEED YOU! 🎃🌙

The 33rd Annual Moonlight Walk Against Drugs & Trunk or Treat is coming October 30, and we’re looking for community partners to help make it awesome!

🚗 Host a Trunk — FREE! Businesses, first responders, churches, clubs, organizations, families…come decorate a trunk and pass out candy!

💙 Become a Community Sponsor! Sponsorships start at just $100 and help us keep this event FREE for local families.

There’s a way for everyone to be part of this 33-year Southwest Oklahoma tradition!

👉 Register your trunk or become a sponsor here:
https://givebutter.com/moonlight-walk-against-drugs-2026-qrmpij

Tag a business, church, organization or group that needs to join us! 👇🎃

10/02/2026

🚨 FRAUD FRIDAY: WORK-FROM-HOME JOB SCAMS 💻🚨
Looking for a job you can do from home? Be careful! Scammers are using legitimate job websites, Facebook, text messages, and social media to advertise fake work-from-home jobs designed to steal your money or personal information.
The scam may start with a message offering an easy job with high pay, flexible hours, and little or no experience required.
Once you're interested, the scammer may ask you to:
💰 Pay a fee for training or equipment
💳 Purchase equipment or gift cards
🏦 Provide your bank account information for “direct deposit”
🪪 Send a photo of your driver's license or Social Security card
💵 Deposit a check and send part of the money somewhere else
📦 Receive and reship packages
💸 Transfer money through Cash App, Zelle, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer
The scammer may even send you a fake check for equipment or expenses. The check may initially appear to clear, but later be returned by the bank—leaving YOU responsible for the money.
🚩 RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR
🔴 You are offered a job without a legitimate interview.
🔴 The pay is unusually high for the amount of work required.
🔴 The “employer” contacts you through an unexpected text or social-media message.
🔴 You are pressured to act quickly or told you must pay money to get started.
🔴 You are asked to purchase equipment using money they send you.
🔴 You are instructed to deposit a check and send some of the money back.
🔴 You are asked to use your personal bank account to receive or transfer money for the company.
🔴 You are asked to receive packages at your home and ship them somewhere else.
🔴 The employer asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other difficult-to-recover payments.
🔴 The email address, website, or company information doesn't match the legitimate business.
🛡️ HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
✅ Research the company independently. Don't rely solely on information provided by the person contacting you.
✅ Visit the company's official website and look for the job listing yourself.
✅ Contact the company using a phone number or email address obtained independently—not one provided by the recruiter.
✅ Never pay money to get a job.
✅ Never deposit a check and send money back because an employer tells you to.
✅ Don't allow your personal bank account to be used to move money for an employer.
✅ Be extremely cautious about providing your Social Security number, driver's license, banking information, or other sensitive information before you've verified the employer.
🚨 REMEMBER:
A real job should pay YOU—not the other way around.
If someone offers you an easy work-from-home job with high pay and then asks you to send money, deposit checks, purchase gift cards, or move money through your personal account, STOP. It could be a scam.
Stop. Verify. Then Proceed.
💻 Think you encountered a work-from-home scam? Report it to your local law enforcement agency and the appropriate online platform.
CRIME STOPPERS OF SW OKLAHOMA– FRAUD FRIDAY
Follow along each Friday as we highlight a different scam and provide information to help you recognize the warning signs before you become a victim.

09/25/2026

🚨 FRAUD FRIDAY: THE PUPPY THAT NEVER COMES HOME 🐶🚨
Looking for a new furry family member? Be careful! One common online scam involves criminals advertising puppies, kittens, or other pets for sale on Facebook Marketplace and social media.
The scammer may post adorable pictures of a puppy and claim it is available for a great price. Once you show interest, they ask for a deposit to “hold” the puppy.
Then the extra fees begin:
💰 Deposit to reserve the puppy
🚚 Shipping or transportation fees
🏠 “Crate” or boarding fees
💉 Vaccination or veterinary fees
📄 Registration or paperwork fees
🛡️ “Refundable” insurance fees
After sending the money, you may receive another request for payment—or the seller may disappear completely.
The puppy never arrives because there was never a puppy for sale.
🚩 RED FLAGS TO WATCH FOR
🔴 The price is significantly lower than other sellers.
🔴 The seller refuses to meet you in person or let you see the animal.
🔴 They claim they are located somewhere else and can only ship the puppy.
🔴 They pressure you to send a deposit immediately because “someone else is interested.”
🔴 They request payment through Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or other difficult-to-recover payment methods.
🔴 They keep coming up with new fees after you have already paid.
🔴 Their profile is new, has very little activity, or contains inconsistent information.
🔴 The photos look too professional, appear on multiple listings, or the seller cannot provide additional pictures/videos when requested.
🔴 They won't do a live video call showing the puppy and the seller interacting with it.
🛡️ HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
✅ See the animal in person before sending money whenever possible.
✅ Research the seller's name, phone number, email address, and payment information online.
✅ Perform a reverse image search on pictures used in the advertisement.
✅ Ask for a live video call. Ask the seller to show the puppy and perform something specific in real time.
✅ Be cautious of sellers who insist on shipping a pet rather than allowing you to pick it up.
✅ Don't let pressure or an emotional connection to the animal rush you into sending money.
✅ Be especially cautious when someone asks for multiple deposits, fees, or payments after you've already paid.
✅ Remember: A legitimate-looking Facebook profile does not mean the seller is legitimate.
🚨 REMEMBER:
If you can't verify the seller and the animal, don't send the money.
That adorable puppy picture may be real—but the person using it to collect your money may not own the puppy at all.
Stop. Verify. Then Pay.
🐾 Think you encountered a scam? Report it to your local law enforcement agency and the appropriate online platform.
CRIME STOPPERS OF SW OKLAHOMA – FRAUD FRIDAY

09/25/2026

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts and wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers of Southwest Oklahoma at 580-355-INFO or submit a tip online at crimestoppersofswok.com.

The Lawton Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating the wanted individual shown below.

If you have information regarding his whereabouts contact Emergency Communications at 580-581-3272 OR if you would like to remain anonymous you can contact CrimeStoppers of Southwest Oklahoma at 580-355-INFO (4636)

Your tips can help keep our community safe. Thank you for your assistance.
Make sure to follow us on social media for more updates and information.

09/23/2026

🔎 CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS INDIVIDUAL?

Crime Stoppers of Southwest Oklahoma and the Lawton Police Department are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual shown in connection with an Obtaining Merchandise by Deception/Fraud investigation.

📋 LPD Case #2026-00066257

If you recognize this individual or have information that could assist investigators, contact Crime Stoppers of Southwest Oklahoma.

📞 580-355-INFO (4636)
🌐 www.crimestoppersofswok.com

Tips can be submitted anonymously, and information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.

See it. Know it. Report it.

09/18/2026

We would like to say a BIG thank you to the community of Lawton Fort Sill.

Our Special Operations Division is concluding a large narcotics investigation that resulted in more than $40,000 worth of illegal drugs being taken off the streets of Lawton.

This case was over a year in the making, and it was developed with an anonymous tip submitted to Crime Stoppers of SW Oklahoma in 2025.

Lawton Fort Sill, you are our eyes and ears. Thank you to the community member who came forward and provided the information that helped our detectives develop this case. Your willingness to speak up truly makes a difference.

We also want to recognize and thank the men and women of our Special Operations Division and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics for their hard work, dedication, and commitment throughout this investigation.

Cases like this are a reminder of what can happen when law enforcement and our community work together.

Make sure to follow us for more updates and information.

As always, stay safe, Lawton Fort Sill

09/17/2026

09/14/2026