Mallory is digging into two unusual stories this week: how parts from decommissioned Baltimore Police vehicles ended up for sale with their markings still intact, and what happened when a woman tried to stop an $11,000 package after realizing she'd been scammed.
Marked Baltimore Police car doors surface on Facebook Marketplace
🚔 Baltimore is changing how it handles decommissioned police vehicles after three damaged or totaled BPD vehicles were mistakenly auctioned with their police markings still intact. Some of those parts later appeared for sale on Facebook Marketplace, including marked doors listed for hundreds of dollars. The city blamed an "administrative oversight" during a transition to a new auction platform.
Maryland woman sends $11,000 to an FTC impersonator
📱 A Maryland woman thought she was protecting herself after receiving a frightening message about a fraudulent charge. Instead, she was talking to scammers impersonating the Federal Trade Commission. She mailed them $11,000 in cash, realized the scam before delivery and asked UPS to stop the package—but UPS says it hasn't been able to locate it.
💡 Mallory's Tip of the Week
If someone claiming to be from a government agency tells you to withdraw cash, buy gift cards or move money to "protect" it, stop. Hang up and contact the agency directly using a phone number you find yourself. Scammers can use the names of real government officials—and even encourage you to Google them—to make their story more convincing.
