SCAM ALERT!!! From Winston County Sheriff's Office

The Winston County Sheriff's Office is warning all county residents about a rash of phone scams occurring in our area. Sheriff Jason Pugh indicates that his office is receiving dozens of complaints on a daily basis. He indicates the scams take one of several forms - the most common being -a call advising  a resident that they have won $850,000 and a new car but to receive their prizes, they will need to purchase a "green dot" prepaid card from WalMart and provide the pin number over the phone as a transaction fee. Pugh indicates that the average amount requested is roughly $150 and if successful, the scammer will call back requesting additional funds as well.
Other scams include individuals claiming to represent Publishers Clearinghouse. The scammer claims that the resident has won a prize and that PB needs bank account or social security info to process their claim. This information is then used to withdraw funds or for identity theft.
Pugh indicates that most of these calls are coming from an 876 area code which likely originates from outside the United States. Once an individual is victimized, there is very little opportunity to retrieve the stolen funds.
Some of the more recent calls have been actually placed to cell phones with the 803 prefix as well as local land lines.Residents are urged to consider the following:

DO NOT give Bank Acct or Social Security information over the phone to unsolicited callers under any circumstances.


No legitimate Sweepstakes will contact you and request a transaction fee prior to the awarding of a prize. Do not purchase prepaid cards and provide pin #'s over the phone.


Consider not answering any phone calls to your land line or the 803 cell phone prefix that originate from an 876 area code.


Scammers prey upon the elderly and trusting individuals. Contact your friends and family members and make them aware of this criminal activity. If you or someone you know has been a victim of a similar scam, contact the Winston County Sheriff's Office at 662-773-5881.