Police continue to warn residents of scams

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office warned of a bitcoin scam, and the Indiana State Police warned residents of the Publisher’s Clearing House Scam.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a scam in which a resident fell prey to it and lost a considerable amount of money.

When the subject logged onto the computer, the computer started flashing and a telephone number to fix the problem popped up on the screen. The subject called the number and was told their checking account was hacked and to withdraw all the money from the checking account and put it into a bitcoin machine.

The subject was told the money would be returned to the checking account the next day. The subject withdrew money and put it into two Bitcoin machines. The subject remained on the telephone with the caller (scammer) and provided the scammer with the serial number and code to the bitcoins that the subject had just purchased. The scammer, with the code, accessed and took the bitcoins purchased.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind everyone never to give out personal or banking account information. The best thing to do is hang up and/or speak with a family member or law enforcement before taking any action.

Publisher’s Clearing House Scam

A “Publishers Clearing House scam” refers to fraudulent attempts by individuals posing as representatives of the legitimate sweepstakes company, Publishers Clearing House (PCH), where they try to trick people into sending money or personal information by claiming they’ve won a large prize, but only if they pay a fee or provide details to “claim” their winnings – which is never how PCH operates; if you are asked to pay anything to claim a PCH prize, it is a scam.

Key points about PCH scams:

• No upfront payment: Legitimate PCH winners never need to pay any money to claim their prize.
• Contact methods: PCH will typically notify large prize winners via certified mail or in person by their “Prize Patrol,” not through phone calls or emails demanding immediate action.
• Fake checks: Scammers might send fake checks that appear to be from PCH, asking you to send a portion of the money back as a “processing fee”.
• Pressure tactics: Scammers often use urgency, claiming the offer is time-sensitive to pressure you into acting quickly.

How to protect yourself:

• Never pay to claim a prize: If anyone asks you to pay money to receive a PCH prize, it is a scam.
• Verify with PCH directly: If you receive a notification claiming you’ve won, contact PCH customer service to verify its legitimacy.
• Be cautious of suspicious emails and calls: Don’t provide personal information to anyone claiming to be from PCH unless you are certain they are legitimate.

Report scams: If you encounter a PCH scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.