More Phone Scammers Targeting Humboldt County Residents With Promises of Riches, Says Sheriff’s Office, Which Provides a Handy List of Tell-Tale Signs of a Scam
From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has received a report of a phone scam targeting local residents.
The scammers identify themselves as being with Publisher’s Clearing House and tell the victim that they have won $2 million and a 2018 Mercedes Benz. The scammers ask the victim to cover a portion of the taxes on the prize, around $950. To receive the money, the scammers offer to pick the victim up from their residence and drive them to the bank to withdraw the cash for taxes. The scammers then say they will give the victim a cashier’s check for the false prize money after receiving the cash.
If you think you’ve won a prize, here are a few things to know.
A company giving out a prize will never offer to pick you up and take you to the bank.
Never send money to collect a prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. If you have to pay, it’s a scam.
Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. That’s a sure sign of a scam.
If anyone calls asking you to pay for a prize, hang up and report it to your local law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
Visit the Publisher’s Clearing House website for more information about other variations of this scam:
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