VERGENNES — Vergennes police received two complaints last week from city residents about Facebook Messenger scams, and said they have heard anecdotally of other county residents being victimized by similar frauds.

Reports in Vergennes came on Jan. 19 from East Street and Armory Lane residents. Police said the person or persons contacting residents threatened their arrest if they did not comply.

City police are warning residents not to respond to claims sent over social media that they, or their relatives, are in legal jeopardy unless payments are made to the person contacting them.

In Vergennes, any questions or reports about such contacts may be directed to city police at 802-877-2201.

Between Jan. 17 and 23, Vergennes police also conducted six patrols by cruiser and one on foot, fingerprinted a job applicant for a third party, ticketed two vehicles in violation of the city’s overnight wintertime parking ban and ticketed a third and ordered it to be towed, and also:

On Jan. 18:

• Worked with the Department for Children and Families on a truancy case.
• Investigated a case of retail theft at Kinney Drug Store.

On Jan. 19 dealt with a minor one-car accident in an Armory Lane parking lot.

On Jan. 20 began investigation of a break-in and theft of pharmaceuticals from Kinney Drug Store, which appear to be related to similar incidents last week in Bristol and Brandon. See story in this edition.

On Jan. 21:

• Began investigating a report that someone had used a false ID to try to open a bank account in the name of a Green Street resident.
• Checked a report of a truck with flashers on in the middle of West Main Street, but found nothing.
• Responded to a report of a fight between two Valley Vista clients at One Alden Place and cited two people for disorderly conduct: Brittany Moore, 35, of Castleton, N.Y., and Krisse Ward-Arnold, 21, of Colchester.

On Jan. 22 dealt with a complaint of a fuel truck driving on a West Main Street lawn.

On Jan. 23 responded along with the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad to a Walker Avenue apartment, where an apparently drunken resident had fallen. Police said she refused transport to Porter Hospital, and they and other first responders decided she was well enough to be left at her apartment.