SOUTHEASTERN IN — Several area law enforcement agencies have recently received reports of a scam that has actually circulated for years.
In the latest version, someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearinghouse calls texts or emails their prospective victims offering thousands of dollars in sweepstakes winnings but requiring them to send a few hundred dollars to start the process.
Police say if you receive a call from someone you think is a scammer, simply hang up.
They also recommend calling the actual company, which can usually verify or deny rather quickly.
The legitimate companies also don’t contact people outside of normal business hours.
Some local police agencies say they receive reports of similar scams on a weekly basis.
In addition, WRBI has learned that an area resident was the victim of one of these scams and has reported it to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.
