The Jefferson Police Department reports an elderly resident has fallen victim to the Publisher’s Clearing House phone scam. The female was told she had won a $2 million prize and was instructed to purchase several gift cards and provide the caller with the numbers from them. The loss totaled $6,839.25. She also mailed a personal check to the subject for $3,200. Information obtained will be forwarded to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. All area residents are reminded that if you are contacted about something that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate sweepstakes prizes will not require the winner to pay upfront fees out of their own pocket and they will never request such payments through prepaid gift or credit cards. Cases such as this are also very difficult to investigate as they typically originate outside of the United States and the victims seldom get any of their lost money returned to them. If you ever have questions about a phone call of this nature, contact your local authorities to not only learn more about the request but to alert them to the scam being perpetrated in our area.
