Recurring Scam Is Back In Douglas County - JUST HANG UP
-05/31/25
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is once again warning residents about a common scam that has resurfaced in our community. Individuals are receiving fraudulent calls claiming there is some type of law enforcement matter that needs attention. The caller, often using the names of actual staff members, pressures victims to pay the fine through gift cards or cash apps. The caller employs tactics intended to create a sense of necessary immediate action.
This is the same scam the Sheriff's Office has warned about several times over the past several years. Scammers continue to exploit fear and urgency by using the names of real officials to create a sense of legitimacy. However, it’s important to remember that legitimate law enforcement will never demand payment for fines via cash apps, gift cards, or any other unconventional methods. Nor will law enforcement call residents advising them a warrant has been issued for their arrest.
"This is not the first time we've seen this scam, and unfortunately, it continues to target members of our community," said Undersheriff Brad O’Dell. "We want to remind residents that this tactic is fraudulent and ask that they share this warning with elderly friends and family members.”
O'Dell emphasized the role that retailers, and cashiers can play in preventing these scams. "Retailers and their staff can help protect the public from scams like this," said O'Dell. "Posting signs at checkout stands and educating cashiers to recognize warning signs can be incredibly helpful.”
Residents are strongly encouraged to be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls demanding immediate payment for any alleged fines, especially those related to jury duty. If you receive such a call, do not engage with the caller. Simply hang up and report the incident to law enforcement.
For further information or to report a scam attempt, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at (541) 440-4471.
Drain Couple Dies In Tyee Crash, Teams Work To Recover Bodies (Photo)
-05/29/25
TYEE, Ore. – A Drain couple perished in a rollover motor vehicle accident on Weyerhaeuser timber company property west of Tyee sometime in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 24, 2025. Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers assisted in recovering the remains from the hillside Sunday morning.
Douglas County 9-1-1 was alerted to the accident at about 5 pm Saturday via satellite assisted Text-to-911. The texter, who had been scouting prior to bear hunting season, said two people had been spotted from a distance on a very steep embankment in the Brush Creek area and they both appeared deceased.
Deputies from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and located marks in the roadway consistent with a westbound vehicle leaving BLM road 24-8-35 1 and rolling down the hill.
Using ropes, deputies traversed the embankment and located the bodies of Anthony W. Forbes, 55, and Mandi S. Forbes, 50 about 215 feet down from the roadway. Records indicate the Forbes’ were married and both lived in Drain.
Their vehicle, a 1986 Suzuki Samuri, continued to roll past where the Forbes’ had been ejected. It eventually came to rest, heavily damaged, about 500 feet from the roadway in a small ravine.
Search and Rescue volunteers and members of Central Douglas Fire and Rescue’s Steep Angle Rescue Team were assembled Saturday but determined it was unsafe to recover the bodies until daylight. Several personnel remained in the area overnight and teams regrouped Sunday morning.
According to responders, the slope angle in this area was between 27 and 50 degrees. This was previously clearcut area, had low vegetation growth and very thick brush. Nearly 15 responders worked together to complete the strenuous recovery.
Evidence on scene showed the Forbes’ had a permit to be on Weyerhaeuser property and that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Seatbelts were not used. Deputies believe the crash occurred several hours before the bodies were discovered.
