Minnesota Seniors Being Targeted In New Mail Scam
This isn't good. A new scam is taking aim at Minnesota seniors.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce spread the word via press release Tuesday (November 5th). They report that the scam in question is a mail scam, sending letters to the elderly in the state claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House.
Here's how it works: Minnesotans get a letter in the mail claiming they have won what is called the 100 Million Dollars Super Cash Giveaway Promotion. Inside the letter is a check made out for six-thousand dollars, claiming it is to be used for fees associated with the win.
From there, the resident is asked to contact the claims manager for the company before cashing the check. They are also asked not to tell anyone about the win. The scammer poses as the claims manager and asks the person on the other end to cash the check and then wire them money in order to receive their winnings.
According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, this scam is easy to fall for because the branding is so sophisticated and the person posing as the claims manager sounds professional.
They advise everyone to be extra cautious of this scam by being aware of urgent requests, like the one above, and knowing that if something sounds too good to be true, it is probably a scam.
As with any scam, do not give out any personal information to anyone and do not wire money to anyone in any way, shape or form.