Thursday, 10 January 2008 04:30

Telephone Scam Hits Amador County

A telephone scam has hit Amador County. District Attorney Todd Riebe said that an Amador County senior citizen had received a call notifying him that he had won the Canadian lottery and that he was due a check for $410,000 – but the check could not be delivered without a 1% processing fee. The senior’s suspicions were aroused and he told the caller that he didn’t have $4,100. The caller then asked how much money the man had! The man replied, “About $80,” at which point the caller said, “You’re useless!” and hung up. “Fortunately, this is a story with a happy ending because the man didn’t fall for the scam,” said DA Reibe. “Unfortunately, too many seniors in our community fall prey to these scam artists.” Reibe says a rule of thumb in these kinds of situations is that, if it seems too good to be true – it is. Don’t give strangers who contact you your financial or personal information over the phone, by e-mail, or any other means. If you suspect someone has tried to commit fraud, call local law enforcement.