Journalist offered $2.5 million prize in the manner often used with seniors

Scam victim

This journalist just won $2.5 million, at least that's the news I got after answering the telephone today.  Perhaps you too have received a similar call, one that initially makes you very happy, that is until you learn the facts from the manner often used with seniors and military people.

"John Harper," who announced his status as representative of the Publishers Clearinghouse, called to inform me of my winnings.  He also gave me the number of the package I would be receiving and the representative at the Bank of America who would be verifying the winnings and making sure the money is transferred to a bank account.  I was only to obtain two IRS merchant banker stamps made out to an individual named Robert Marsh in New Florence, Pennsylvania in the amount of $360 that would verify the amount and to notify the IRS of the winnings in advance of tax payments.

But John Harper, according to the American Association of Retired Persons, is not a representative of the Publishers Clearinghouse.  The famous sweepstakes giant does not offer mailings or prizes until February.  Furthermore, Publishers Clearinghouse, and other legitimate sweepstakes offerings, do not ask the winner to pay any amount of money in order to receive a prize.

It is a familiar type of scam, but those playing the game of chance are taking less of a chance themselves with phone calls that on the surface appear to be legitimate.  The soft-spoken, courteous voice without accent, clear and kindly, makes the pitch.  Then there are the details that at the outset make the call sound like the prize and the winnings are real.  But there are hidden clues at the outset that offer a hint of the scam information that comes after the introductory remarks.

One of those clues is the salutation itself.  The caller referred to me as "Madam" at the outset and throughout the call.  I was not "Carol" nor Mrs. Forsloff."  And the caller, in referring to the delivery from the Bank of America, was unaware of the banking industry in Hawaii, where the banks are local and mainland banks have only small offices as opposed to large banks in the islands.  When I was told about the "stamps" needed for the Internal Revenue Service to be sent to a particular person, it became even more clear the call was a scam.  Add to that, the caller offered me the phone number I should call to speak with someone at the IRS.

The caller in my case, the "John Harper" who sounded pleasant and able to converse clearly and with detail, was very persuasive, congratulating me on being a skeptic while assuring me he is an honest person.  The FBI tells us those in the business of scamming seniors, and others, can be very bright and able to sound legitimate.  describing them as able to "make themselves extremely believable over the phone.  For people on the other end of the line who were even a little bit gullible or desperate for money, the deception could be too much to resist."

I resisted well enough so the caller gave up and moved on, but not until I had finished taking notes to write this article. I was wary enough to avoid being duped.  On the other hand the scammers are adept enough to catch some of the most astute, so it pays to remember that when someone asks for money to be sent in order to get money in return as a prize, it's time to hang up the phone and put your number on the "do not call registry," making it more difficult for those who want to scam to find you among the willing and the gullible.