Most people have heard the cliché: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

There’s no such thing as free money, either. It’s a lesson Chris Jennings learned quickly.

In May, the 19-year-old received what appeared to be a money order from Wal-Mart for $300. He had no idea who sent the money to his Barview home, but he was more than glad to get it.

“I was pretty stoked,” Jennings said. “It looked real to me. I didn’t know what a money order looked like. I never got one before.”

But when he tried to cash it at Wal-Mart, an employee said it looked odd. After some checking, she told him the money order already had been cashed for $2,000 in February. It was a fake. The scammer’s intent remains unclear.

“I felt kind of bummed out. I thought I got scammed. I didn’t know what to think,” Jennings said.  

E-mail, phone scams and mail theft continue to plague people in Coos County.

Bandon Police spokeswoman Rachel Panter said her department receives two to three calls per week involving someone wanting to report a scam or fraud. North Bend and Coos Bay Police are reporting consistent, ongoing problems, too.

Just this week, the Oregon First Community Credit Union, based in Coquille, posted a phishing alert on its Web page. According to the alert, a few residents received e-mails from an entity posing as the Credit Union, stating it had temporarily suspended their accounts. Phishing is generally described as an attempt to obtain sensitive information in a fraudulent manner via e-mail or other electronic communication.

“Reason: Billing failure. We need you to complete an account update so we can unlock your account,” the fraudulent e-mail stated. “If you fail to provide required information, your account will be automatically deleted from Oregon First Community Credit Union’s database.”

Credit union spokeswoman Traci GeDeros said Oregon First rarely has been the target of phishing scams.

“Oregon First will never ask for personal information via e-mail. We already have it,” GeDeros said.  

North Bend Police Capt. Ron Akers, who said he recently saw the Credit Union’s Web site, warned against giving out information online.

“If (people) get something through the Internet about their personal accounts or on the phone, and they are wanting some type of personal information regarding your identity, then don’t give it out. Make the phone call yourself by looking up that number and calling them directly or going and seeing them in person,” Akers said.

He added he’s also been aware of check scams — much like the one Jennings came across — in which people get a check for a prize that asks them to send a portion back to the organization that sent it.

“After they send that cash and the check doesn’t clear they’re out of all that money,” Akers said.

One scam that seems to be growing in popularity is construction fraud, said Helen Thompson, a Coos Bay Police Department spokeswoman. She said the department has had a few cases in which, for instance, someone will come to a home and say it needs a new roof or has visible signs of dry rot.

“(They’ll) offer to make the repairs, get a down payment on materials and never come back,” Thompson said.

Thompson said homeowners should ask for a contractor’s license and then contact the Construction Contractors Board to make sure it’s valid. They also should ask if there are liens against the contractor.

“It’s always best to get two or three different estimates and make sure they are licensed and insured,” Thompson said.

And be very careful when making payments, Thompson said. Have a signed contract and know what amount is due at each phase of the project.

“They should never give more money than is necessary at that stage and never pay the project in its entirety prior to the work being completed,” Thompson said.

Panter said Bandon’s most commonly reported scams include phishing e-mails; e-mails from the “FBI” seeking personal information; and telemarketers claiming to be from credit card companies.

 It also receives reports of mail scams involving fraudulent or fake checks issued to “Mystery Shopper” if they just cash the check and send a portion of the check back to the company.  

“We, as a small, small police agency with very limited resources and technology, are unable to investigate/prosecute these types of scams (and) spams.  We simply do not have the resources to trace these e-mails,” Panter said.