Published: November 13, 2009 11:13 am      

Pryor PD warns of possible phone scam

The Pryor Police Department is cautioning residents about a possible phone scam in the area.

Sergeant Brent Crittenden said they’ve received a number of calls regarding the scam in the last few days.

“People are getting calls from someone claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearing House,” Crittenden said. “They’re being told they’ve won a category three prize, which amounts to some money.”

The person contacted is then told that they must pay for the background check that will be

completed to verify that they are indeed the winner. The cost is $495.

“They’re trying to get that $495 up front to supposedly get the process started to claim the prize,” Crittenden said, adding that he’d been in contact with Publisher’s Clearing House.

“I spoke to someone from the organization and they said that they notify their prize winners in person only,” he said. “They told me that people would never be contacted by phone.”

Crittenden said a resident of Pryor was victimized with a similar scam not long ago.

“A woman was contacted about the scam, and gave her banking information out,” he said. The scammers cleaned out her bank account, a loss to her of over $2,000. That wasn’t the end of the story, however.

After realizing she’d been scammed, the woman closed her bank account and established a new account.

Incredibly, she was contacted again after several months. This time, the scammers told her they were with law enforcement and had recovered her previously stolen funds. They requested her account information to direct deposit the lost funds to her bank.

Believing the “officers” she again submitted her banking information and was cleaned out again.

“The Chief wants the word out to warn the citizens of Pryor that these calls are becoming more frequent,” Crittenden said. “Do not give out personal information over the phone. Just don’t do it.”

Crittenden said the old adage rings true.

“If it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is,” he said.