(Ruthven)– Scam artists are once again at work in the area.
Palo Alto county authorities say residents need to be on the lookout for a letter that makes reference to a “Consumer Promotion Draw” which claims the recipient has won $100,000. A so-called final notice letter contains a check made out to the resident in the amount of $4,000. That amount was to have been deducted from the prize amount, of which $2,850 was to be returned to the United Kingdom to pay a “tax clearance fee”.
The so-called lucky winner is then instructed to call the payment handling officer. They are told to deposit the $4,000 check in their bank and then wire money back for the taxes. The wired money normally arrives at its destination prior to the local bank being informed that the prize check is fake.
As a result, the person is out $2,850.
Palo Alto county authorities say it’s a fraud, adding that a true prize is something you receive or win with no strings attached. Anything requiring a fee, tax payments or any other stipulation should be considered a fraud. If you receive communication either by phone or in the mail, you should simply hang up or rip it up and throw it away, whatever the case may be.
