Scam alert. "We'll be at your house tomorrow to deliver your check."

You've won. We'll be at your house soon to deliver a big check. ...Not so fast.

Here's an email from a viewer who was smart enough not to get taken.

Just wanted to give people a heads up to a group called mega million who called me yesterday to say I had won 650,000 dollars and would be at my home today to provide the check, congrats letter and an attorny's validity.

Secret shopper scam alert

I'm grateful this viewer was smart and decided to reach out. 

Secret shopper "scams" are all basically the same. Scam artists send you a check/money order and want you to immediately cash it and wire part of that money to someone else.

Here's the thing: the checks are usually fake. You won't know that for a few days until your bank calls to tell you. The bank will then deduct the value of the check from your account. By that time you've already wired money to some unknown person and you can't get it back. You are out the money.

Here's the viewer's email. Tell your friends.

What inspires me. #FailedToDeath

The response we've received from our "Failed to Death" series shows Coloradans do care about child abuse and neglect. I never thought they didn't, but with so many competing interests these days I wasn't sure how many people would react.

In great numbers they have emailed, called, Facebooked and tweeted me to say they want to see the system improve.

I got this email from a Littleton couple:

"Your week-long reporting, along with the corresponding articles in the Post, have not only informed us but also has raised our awareness to the point of action.  This morning we sent an email to our re-elected State Senator, Linda Newell.  We explained to her that we fully support the idea of a statewide hotline and would support her efforts fully."

Last night State Senator Linda Newell wrote to tell about the urgency she's feeling from the dozens of people emailing and calling her. She is inspired. I am too. I take pride in knowing that our series, which we produced with The Denver Post (see their series here), has the attention of legislators who have great power and can do something about reducing child abuse and neglect.

Here are State Senator Newell's thoughts which I included in follow-up news report.

I want to know what you think after watching our stories. Send me a note on Facebook or tweet me. Thanks for watching and caring.

Here's first story in our series. It's heartbreaking.

Why you can't see what inmates in federal custody look like

There are two reasons... one cameras are not allowed in federal courts. We can have sketch artists who draw what people look like. We are allowed to Tweet from court and use other technology, but no cameras. I wish I knew the full reason behind this. In come courts, an inmate must walk into public view as they enter or exit the courthouse. In the District of Colorado, that's not the case.

The other reason, is that most federal districts do not release mug shots of people who have been arrested. Colorado is one of those that doesn't.

...just a couple of interesting pieces of information. I had time to write this out because the hearing for Mitchell Kusick is delayed by 30 minutes and counting. He's the man federal prosecutors say planned to attack Jefferson County school kids and also kill Obama.

Apparently I'm "trustworthy." Scam artists just love flattery

Like I would ever fall for this. (I say that all the time, but clearly people do.)