ELDRED TWP., Pa. (EYT) – Police say an elderly man was swindled out of $40,000.00 when he fell victim to a scam.
The victim – an 89-year-old Sigel man – called Marienville-based State to report that he had received a letter from Publishers Clearing House indicating that he was the winner of a $1,600,000.00 dollar sweepstakes.
According to the lengthy instruction(s) provided through the mail. The winnings could not be released until a $40,000.00 Federal and State income tax bill was satisfied. The victim was provided further instructions(s) via several phone conversations with an unknown person.
The victim complied with said instruction(s) and was subsequently defrauded of $40,000.00.
Police say the incident occurred around 11:00 a.m. on February 5 on Catholic Church Road, in Eldred Township, Jefferson County.
The PSP Marienville station is asking area residents to be aware and to use caution when asked to provide personal information to anyone over the phone.
Beware of overly complicated instruction(s) or fast talking dialogue with time restraints regarding sweepstakes or winnings. Further, be aware of red flag statements that may indicate that the correspondence or phone call is of a suspicious nature.
If necessary, reach out for assistance or guidance to ensure the legitimacy of the correspondence or phone call in question.
Lastly, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is!
This investigation is ongoing.
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