An upset daughter called 911 to report her mother had been conned out of $5,000 by scammers pretending to be from Publishers Clearing House.
The crooks convinced the woman to send them $5000 in order to claim her prize. They then tried to get an additional $7,500 in fees but the daughter stopped payment.
The crooks were still targeting the woman and had branched out to calling other members of the family. She feared they’d gotten hold of other family members’ personal information. Officers advised her to notify her bank of all possible information breaches and to block the numbers used by the scammers.
Sweepstakes scams trick people by telling them they’ve won a big prize, but to claim it, they must first pay a fee or provide personal information. The scam might come through the mail, email, or phone. Once you pay or share your details, the scammers disappear, and you never see any prize. To avoid these scams, remember that real sweepstakes don’t ask for money upfront. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always verify the source before giving out any information.
