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Sheriff warns of new phone scam in the area |
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 |
By BRIAN HAWKINS
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Oktibbeha County Sheriff Dolph Bryan is warning local residents of a potential scam that begins with a telephone call about winning a $500 shopping spree to Wal-Mart.
Bryan said a man contacted him about the potential scam over the weekend after receiving a call from someone “with a foreign accent” informing him that he had won the Wal-Mart shopping spree?
The catch is that the caller wants the shopping spree “winner” to pay a $4.95 “surcharge” and a $1 “application fee” to claim the prize, Bryan said.
The caller who talked with the local man said he could pay the so-called surcharge and application fee by giving his bank account number or credit card number over the telephone, Bryan said.
Bryan said residents should not give such financial account information over the phone because the caller could then take the account numbers and use it to run up credit card charges or drain one’s bank account.
He’s concerned that the low surcharge and application fee being offered to claim the $500 shopping spree could lure local residents into giving out private financial information, Bryan said.
Giving out such information could result in major financial liability and a damaged credit report for residents who fall victim to it, he said.
“The low amount might trick people into giving something up, and it could hurt them bad,” Bryan said.
“This is one scam that could get people because of the low amount they want you to pay.”
Anyone who has been subjected to the scam is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Department at 323-2421 or any other local law enforcement agency.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 November 2009 )
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