Phone Scam Impacts Saline Co. Residents
HARRISBURG -- Officials in Saline County say hardly a week goes by that they don't hear about some kind of scam. The most recent is coming by way of the phone and it's affecting people nationwide.
Sheriff Keith Brown says people in Saline County have reported receiving phone calls from SLG Sales. The caller tells victims they've won hundreds through a lottery, but asks for your credit information in return. During tough economic times, officials say we'll not only see more scammers, but more people falling victim.
"You don't get something for nothing," says Brown, "there's always something attached to these things."
But if you pick up the phone and hear you've won 500 dollars, the deal is tempting and somewhat believable, because as opposed to millions in winnings... "This is a small amount so they think it's probably legitimate," says Brown.
But in order to get the winnings, there's one more detail... "They ask for a processing fee," says Brown, "in this case it's a very small fee around two dollars, but they want your credit card in order to get this processing fee taken care of."
Brown says unless you're making a legitimate purchase, "There is very seldom a reason to give credit information over the phone."
The scam is apparently operating out of Arizona and the culprits aren't just getting those in Saline County on the line. It's affecting people across the country. A google search for SLG sales won't turn-up a company website, but you will find dozens of people sharing their stories on sites like "rip-off report". Brown says if you get a suspicious call- use common sense.
"You have to ask yourself if you've not entered a lottery and somebody calls you to say you've won-- there's a fair chance there's something wrong," says Brown.
And even though we're all looking for a little extra money these days, Brown says, "If it sounds too good to be true, it's very likely too good to be true."
Sheriff Brown says when his department receives complaints, they're passed along to a federal task force to determine if it's a regional problem. The scam may then become a federal violation. If you feel you've been the target of a scam, contact your local police.