Be aware of newest phone scam

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office wants to alert residents of another scam that has surfaced this week.
    According to Gary Smejkal with the sheriff’s office, several residents received telephone calls purportedly from Publishers Clearing House informing them they had won a car. They were instructed to send a small fee to a Post Office box in Three Rivers, Texas.
    “Normally on phone scams they ask for thousands of dollars,” Smejkal said. “This was unusual in that they were asking for a much smaller amount and they also weren’t asking for it to be wired or sent by a prepaid card.”
    He said one of the residents who received the call questioned the caller and was told if they didn’t believe them they should hang up, which they did. When they tried to call the number back they discovered it originated from Kingston, Jamaica.
    Another victim, however, mailed a check to the post office box at the Three Rivers Post Office. After sharing the news of their big win with friends, they were told they had been scammed and reported it to the sheriff’s office.
    “I contacted the Three Rivers Post Office and they were able to intercept the letter,” Smejkal said. He added that luckily no one that he is aware of has lost any money from this scam, but wanted residents to be aware.
    “There are all kinds of different scams out there,” he said. “Remember to never release your personal information over the phone. If someone calls you and tells you that you won something in the lottery and you haven’t entered, it is a scam.”