Unfortunately, scams are nothing new to Green River’s residents and its police department.
Last week, a couple of scams have resurfaced within Sweetwater County, with one claiming a Green River resident won $2.64 million and a 2014 Mercedes-Benz car. The scam involving the luxury vehicle and money is actually a new spin on a familiar scam according to Det. Luke Benson at the Green River Police Department.
According to information from the department, police took a report at the police department last Wednesday from an resident claiming to have been contacted by someone claiming to be a representative of Publisher’s Clearing House. The resident claimed the caller had a foreign accent and said the resident won in a recent drawing. However, the supposed representative said the company would need money sent to them through a Green Dot card. Green Dot is a company which sells reloadable prepaid cards where users can place amounts of money on the card for use as an alternative to a debit card.
According to the report, the resident’s bank said the claim was a hoax. The report stated the resident did not provide the caller with any information and did not lose money as a result.
Benson said the number was identified with an 876 area code, which is used in Jamaica. According to the AARP, people should be wary of calls from the 876 area code as it often denotes a scammer attempting to prey upon an unsuspecting resident. The AARP, through a warning on its website, said residents shouldn’t be swayed if the caller begins listing local landmarks as a proof that they’re a legitimate caller. Scammers can use services like Google Earth to find landmarks or addresses to help strengthen their stories.
Benson said people should understand that if they win something and are asked to pay money to receive it, it’s likely a scam.
A second scam, which was reported by Rock Springs Police Department, involves someone calling a resident and claiming they’re a deputy and saying the resident has a warrant issued for their or a relative’s arrest for failing to report to federal jury duty. In a release, the department states that the caller give a fake badge number and the name of Morallie or Moran and claims the person could pay their fine over the phone or by paying in person at the sheriff’s office. Benson said he heard of that scam and said warrants would never be served through a phone call.
“If a warrant is served in our jurisdiction, it would be served in person,” Benson said. He also said people can contact local courts to determine if they have warrants for them and how they can pay fines that may have been levied against them.
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