Kennewick woman doesn't fall for scam attempt

By the Herald staff

Scammers who prey on seniors are getting more brazen, say Kennewick police.

An 80-year-old Kennewick woman was called this week by a man claiming she'd won $600,000 from Publisher's Clearinghouse.

She was told to wire $2,900 to Montreal, Quebec, in Canada.

But the woman had been called by suspected thieves in the past and was immediately suspicious and told the caller so.

The man called back later and asked her if she knew who she'd previously talked with at the Kennewick Police Department. She gave the name of the detective who handled her fraud case last year.

The caller then called her a third time the same day, within 90 minutes of the original call, and told her that he'd just talked with the detective, who said it was OK for her to send the money.

But the woman didn't fall for it. She called the police and confirmed the detective never was called by Publisher's Clearinghouse.

Investigators tried the call-back number which is a cell phone in Quebec, but no one answered.

Police said the suspects were careful to get information from the potential victim and then used the information in an attempt to reassure her that it was OK to send the money.

Any phone calls, e-mails or other requests to wire money by telegram that involve any kind of prize should be checked, said police.

Kennewick police said they never would encourage anyone to respond to those types of scams.

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Friday, Feb. 05, 2010

Kennewick woman doesn't fall for scam attempt

By the Herald staff