Friday, April 19, 2013
Residents Warned To Beware Of Prevalent Sweepstakes/Lotto Scams
In the wake of a number of complaints regarding various sweepstakes/lottery scams, law enforcement officials are asking the public to beware of such hoaxes.
Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown issued a press release regarding the scams on Thursday. He indicated that various versions of the scam have been circulating throughout the area, and some residents have fallen victim to the shams.
In some instances a caller claims that the victim has won a vehicle and/or large sum of money from Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, or through some lottery, such as Mega Millions.
In each instance the caller informs the victim that processing fees must be paid in order for them to claim the prize. Brown said that in most instances, the scammer requests that the victim forward to them a few hundred dollars.
The victim is instructed to pay the fees either by use of a credit card, or by purchasing a Green Dot prepaid Visa/MasterCard. In many instances the victims have paid the “fees,” but did not collect any type of prizes or winnings.
In many cases the victims have been forwarded checks from the “lottery commission” and instructed to deposit them into their bank accounts. They are then instructed to purchase Green Dot cards and mail them to a specified address.
In another variation, when a citizen informs them that their credit card is maxed out and they have no means of paying the required fees, they are mailed a check with which to pay off the card balance.
Once they have paid off the balance, the victim is instructed to obtain a cash advance from the card to pay the fees.
In past instances victims have reported forwarding the funds as instructed. The following day, however, they learned that the checks they deposited were fraudulent.
The funds were removed from the account and they were informed that, not only did they still owe the original amount, but the amount of the cash advance, as well.
Brown emphasized that there is no evidence of local citizens being involved in the scam in any manner. Residents have reported a number of names associated with the scam, including: Michael Turner, James Carter, Patrick Dundas, Westley Gibson, Jeffery Clark, Sidney Muldrow, Robert Lee-Chen, James Johnson, James Kennedy, David Washington, Jon Kirby, James Butterfield, Jimmy Jackson, Nancy White, Frank White, Jim Kelley.
Brown said that in some instances the caller has identified himself as a representative of the Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Service, or Federal Bureau of Investigation. Phone numbers that have been reported to be associated with the scam include (876) 850-3598, (876) 487-6883, (876) 895-7934, (876) 895-5027, (931) 614-4374, (931) 225-8819, (876) 278-2905, (916) 469-8630, and (561) 247-9936.
Brown urges residents to be on the alert for such scams. Unless you initiate the contact or are certain you know with whom you are dealing, he recommends that personal information never be given over the telephone, by mail, or on the internet.
He urges, “Always confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization.”
